CLT Fuel Farm Expansion

Charlotte Douglas will continue growing in the coming decades requiring significant expansion of fuel storage capabilities.

The City of Charlotte has retained Argus Consulting for design, construction administration and resident engineering services for an expansion of airport fuel farm. The Fuel Farm development plan includes demolishing existing two 10,000-barrel Tanks and replacing them with one nominal 37,000-barrel tank. The project also includes upgrades to the existing piping and automated valves and an improved tank overflow protection system.

The Charlotte Fuel Facilities LLC hired Argus to prepare a fuel supply chain study to provide guidance for expansion of the tank farm by adding a remote tank location near the CLT Fuel Farm.

During the development of the Phase III Tank Farm Expansion design, a railroad easement was discovered north of the CLT Fuel Farm that negates the opportunity to add additional tank to the west as originally planned in the Airfield Fuel System Master Plan. As the existing CLT Tank Farm is not suitable for storage tank expansion, the Charlotte Aviation Department is considering acquiring additional land for the addition of a new remote fuel storage facility.

The Charlotte Fuel Facilities LLC retained Argus Consulting to conduct a study to evaluate the supply chain that provides Jet-A fuel to CLT and assess the need to construct a secondary fuel storage facility.

Argus reviewed the fuel supply chain from the source to the fuel farm to determine the capabilities and identify any restrictions or limitations. In addition, recommendations were provided to improve operations and increase the fuel storage capabilities of the tank farm. Three options were considered to receive and dispense fuel into the new Remote Fuel Storage Facility. Argus recommended a path forward based on the study, which all stakeholders are now considering.