HHopCo Business Requirement

Heathrow Hydrant Operating Company (HhopCo) manages Heathrow’s aviation fuel and distribution within the airport whilst maintaining the fuel pipeline network. The fuel is stored in tanks and delivered to aircraft through pressurised ring mains or “hydrants” situated around the terminals. Heathrow Commercial Telecoms were approached to deliver a solution for a more robust network which would replace HhopCo’s current legacy copper cabling.

The current copper cabling is presented at strategic locations known as outstations across all terminals. These nineteen outstations provide direct fuel lines to various stands and form part of the critical Heathrow operational service.

Commercial Telecoms Solution

The challenge was to provide a resilient solution which could be implemented without disrupting the current business model. The solution was also required within the short window prior to any failure of existing end of life copper connections.

Heathrow Commercial Telecoms designed and deployed three resilient fibre optic rings across the Heathrow campus which operate independently from the HAL network and provide a secure network for HhopCo. This fibre provides a connection to each of the nineteen outstations and three fuel farms and is presented to the customer as a dark fibre (passive) service. This allows HhopCo, with the help of their network team, to connect active equipment within the twenty-two locations. This design also allows flexibility for any location changes as well as future proofing for expansion.

Considering the size and complexity of external airfield project works, not to mention the hazards of our British weather, this installation of three rings was completed and handed into support in less than four months and all prior to any existing copper lines being ceased.