Colonial Pipeline's Austell truck depot to open next year
Sep. 22—A 10-acre expansion of Colonial Pipeline's sprawling Austell fuel tank complex is set to be completed by early next year, the company announced Thursday.
The site will be a truck depot, where rigs will be filled with fuel for distribution around the region. It's the first new construction truck terminal built by Colonial Pipeline Terminals, a subsidiary of Colonial's main holding company.
Colonial, which operates the roughly 5,500-mile pipeline from Houston to New York, said it entered the truck terminal business in 2020 with the purchase of three existing terminals.
The pipeline itself is the largest refined oil pipeline in the United States, transporting more than 100 million gallons daily. Last year, the company was the victim of a cyberattack which shut down the pipeline for days, leading to fuel shortages and a spike in gas prices.
Cobb's Board of Commissioners approved the expansion off of Tramore Pointe Parkway near the East-West Connector last March. A site plan submitted by Colonial indicates the terminal will include six tanks with 154,000 barrels, or nearly 6.5 million gallons, of capacity. The loading area will include six truck bays and the company expects to be able to distribute 30,000 barrels per day from the site.
Foundation work has been completed with tank and pipe installation underway, the company said.
"While there are existing assets in the marketplace, we are excited that our customers recognize the value and benefits we are able to offer through the development of this new facility," said Dan Gordon, senior vice president and chief commercial officer of Colonial Enterprises.
