Modes of Transport: Pipeline

Pipe line transport

Advantages

• Is a direct mode of transport:
• Provides a direct delivery i.e. they can reach the consumer directly.
• Is ideal for transporting liquids and gasses e.g. LP gas and Petrol.
• It is a fast mode of transport.
• It moves large volumes of gas and liquids.
• It protects liquids form contamination and pollution.
• Prevents fluids from freezing.
• It is very safe i.e.:
• There is less danger of loss of the liquid through things like evaporation during transportation.
• Risk of theft and pilferage during transportation is reduced.
• Cheap to maintain because of very low operational costs.
• Saves on labour.
• Can be used for carrying alternative liquids.

Disadvantages

• It is expensive to build up a pipeline.
• It is not ideal for transporting small and irregular cargo for example cooking oil.
• It is limited to the transportation of liquids although coal pipelines do exist.
• Is a one-way traffic system and thus return loads are not possible.
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  Are susceptible to attacks during times of war for example the Renamo bandits constantly threatened Zimbabwe’s pipelines in Mozambique in the late 1980s.

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  Requires additional pumping stations where the gradient is steep.

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  Loss of liquid may be very high in the event of leaks developing.

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  Leads to unemployment as it is a labour saving method.

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