Humber Princess

[cotswoldsman]

 

Of course moving fuel by canal or road isn't the best thing, we've been moving fuel to the airports from the major ports by pipe since the war.

But not for just 900 tons a week. Just out of interest where for example would Birmingham be piped from?

[FadeToScarlet]

But not for just 900 tons a week. Just out of interest where for example would Birmingham be piped from?

[peterboat]

Just out of interest Peter how many tons of fuel did Humber Princess burn on one round trip?

Hi John it moved 600 tons every journey , 1200 tons a week. If the canal was dredged to its full depth it could have moved more It was powered by 1 x 500 HP engine out of a lorry plus a 200 HP engine for the bow thruster, it removed about 40 lorries a week from the road, it could be loaded very fast and unloaded fast as well much larger pipes than lorries. Fuel wise it was supposed to be about two lorries worth for the return journey. It must have been viable as when the SSY was closed for a while all the tanks at Green line oils were filled up and Princess was left on the dock full rather than use road tankers. You had to see her coming past the boats in the dark to realize what great steerers they were and the loss to the waterways she and her like will be.. I agree with fade toscarlet though pipes are the way forward

 

Peter

[cotswoldsman]

Hi John it moved 600 tons every journey , 1200 tons a week. If the canal was dredged to its full depth it could have moved more It was powered by 1 x 500 HP engine out of a lorry plus a 200 HP engine for the bow thruster, it removed about 40 lorries a week from the road, it could be loaded very fast and unloaded fast as well much larger pipes than lorries. Fuel wise it was supposed to be about two lorries worth for the return journey. It must have been viable as when the SSY was closed for a while all the tanks at Green line oils were filled up and Princess was left on the dock full rather than use road tankers. You had to see her coming past the boats in the dark to realize what great steerers they were and the loss to the waterways she and her like will be.. I agree with fade toscarlet though pipes are the way forward

 

Peter

She has passed me a few times when I have been up there and as I said I am sorry she won't next time I am up there, but as they say life moves on

[Tim Lewis]

 

GPSS, now CLH-PS, is for avaiation fuel, the oil for Birmingham is more likely to come via the BPA Kingsbury terminal.

 

http://www.bpa.co.uk/experience/what-we-operate/

 

Have never noticed the pump station in Blisworth!

 

Tim

Edited August 20, 2015 by Tim Lewis

[furnessvale]

 

GPSS, now CLH-PS, is for avaiation fuel, the oil for Birmingham is more likely to come via the BPA Kingsbury terminal.

 

http://www.bpa.co.uk/experience/what-we-operate/

 

Have never noticed the pump station in Blisworth!

 

Tim

Which is served by 3000 ton trains from Immingham.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[mango]

GPSS has been sold to Spain: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mod-sells-the-government-pipeline-and-storage-system-for-82-million

 

At this rate we will have little control of what goes on in the UK.

[magpie patrick]

At this point I think I might start answering

 

Humber Princess carried about 500 tonnes I think. twice a week

 

There will presumably be more road tanker movements, as the stuff (processed for other purposes such as WD40) goes out by road tanker. The depot is not well located for such movements. Without water transport, this depot is perhaps in the wrong place. When I visited the road have quite a few tankers parked on it

 

When I was there with dad in May, anecdotal evidence suggested the market for the traffic was declining, the company wasn't selling as much processed oil and therefore needed less delivered.

 

The problem with a double skin isn't just the cost of a new barge, but as the size of the barge is fixed a double skinned barge would carry less.

 

edited because I misread the thing I'd quoted!

Edited August 21, 2015 by magpie patrick

[peterboat]

I dont know about decline in traffic the Princess/Pride or Energy has been passing me twice a week for 10 years, sometimes it has been 3 times a week the whole of the tanker fleet at at exol has been replaced and extra storage tanks put in last year and the year before hardly a place in decline .

 

Peter.

[fanshaft]

Dear all,

Following discussions with Exol and Whitakers I can add and correct some of the detail but obviously not what is commercially confidential.

Exol wish to continue with barge deliveries mainly for convenience: there is a lack of space at Rotherham, plus it's easier to sample one barge on arrival than say 20 lorries (the tanker lorries can carry 24 tonnes whereas Princess carried about 480 tonnes if I remember correctly.).

There is no EU (or MCA or CRT) rule requiring double skinning - it's the international major oil companies who require it for reasons stated. In this case the tanker is carrying waste oil and the majors are not involved so a single hull vessel is fine.

The limit on draft (2 2 metres) is not due to lack of dredging but because the tanker goes about half a mile beyond the end of the modernised section of the waterway; the canal bed is solid and can't be dredged. Raising the level has been discussed but it's not really feasible for various reasons.

Patrick is correct that tonnage has fallen somewhat, and is expected to fall a bit more due to low oil prices hence Whitaker's decision - although it's hoped that tonnages will recover in due course. .

Exol are naturally talking to other UK tanker barge operators - some will recall, for example that Rix operated this traffic for a while a few years ago.

I don't know for certain regarding Princess but the 500 tonne barges use about 5 gallons of gas oil an hour so would expect a similar consumption.

Turning to Robbo's question about the Skelton Grange / Stourton proposed inland terminal, this has planning permission for the first stage of development. As it involves a consortium of waterway, port and other interests and is quite a big investment it will take a little time to get off the ground.

Battlestone is for sale as stated but being maintained still.

I hope that's of interest.

regards David