In the world of transportation, pipeline transportation has its own unique benefits and drawbacks.
On the positive side, pipeline transportation has a high carrying capacity, requires very little land, has a short construction cycle, and is cost-effective. Additionally, pipeline transportation is reliable, safe, and has low energy consumption with good profitability. It also has no pollution and its cost remains low. However, on the negative side, pipeline transportation lacks flexibility and cannot be easily expanded. It is less flexible compared to other modes of transportation. Furthermore, it is often necessary to combine pipeline transportation with other modes of transportation to achieve “door-to-door” service for general users. When the transport volume is insufficient, transportation costs can significantly increase.
One of the unique characteristics of pipeline transportation is its high carrying capacity. One pipeline can continually complete its transportation tasks. Depending on the size of the pipeline, the annual transportation volume can reach millions of tons to tens of millions of tons, or even more than one billion tons. It also has the ability to save land resources as transportation pipelines are typically buried underground, taking up very little land. In fact, statistics show that the part of the pipeline that is buried underground accounts for more than 95% of the total pipeline length.
In conclusion, pipeline transportation has its advantages and disadvantages, and its incredible carrying capacity, low land usage, and cost-effectiveness make it an attractive option. At the same time, its inflexibility and the need for other transportation methods to supplement can limit its potential advantages. Nevertheless, pipeline transportation will continue to play an important role in various fields.