FOODTUBES proposes that food is transported through dedicated pipelines, as is water, sewage, oil, gas and other vital commodities. Pipelines are the most effective “Minimum Weight Vehicles” or MWVs, where only the cargo is transported with little or no vehicle weight. The food will be carried in lightweight, 1 metre x 2 metres capsules and propelled by linear-induction or air pressure and vacuum through pipes. The magneto-electric or air pumps could be powered by electricity from renewable energy sources.

For example: a ring-main of 1,500 kilometres might initially circle the UK, linking loops that connect to all major food producers and retailers making approximately 3,000 kilometres of pipe. The capsules will travel at high speed, at say 150 KPH, and be computer addressed and controlled. Approximately 30 to 50 capsules replace 1 road lorry of 44 tonnes. Spaced 1 metre apart the 3,000 kilometres network could accommodate 300 capsules per kilometre, or 900,000 capsules in circulation. At any one time 50% of capsules will be out of the pipes, being loaded or unloaded – just as road vehicles (HGVs) are off the road network for long periods of time. Thus a 3,000 kilometres network would accommodate 1,800,000 capsules; the equivalent of 36,000 HGVs of up to 44 tonnes (laden); which travels not less than 60,000 kilometres a year at about 2.4 KPL (7 MPG UK), burning 25,000 litres of diesel a year each or 900 million litres of fuel. From weight savings alone, the capsules are 40-50 times more fuel efficient saving 880 million litres per year. Add to this, a far larger TRAFFIC-DECONGESTION impact and a substantial CO2-CLEANED-AIR benefit. 200,000 food carrying HGVs could, in theory, be replaced by 17,000 kilometres of pipelines and capsules, with a UK saving of 40 million tonnes (0.04 B tonnes) of CO2 per year.

Extrapolated world-wide - the saving could be from 1 billion to 4 billion tonnes of CO2 per year, prevented from entering the atmosphere.

Ownership – it is envisaged that companies in the food industry will own sections of the pipelines and capsules, perhaps shared with public ownership in some regions. The business operation is likely to be highly profitable and the transport savings to supermarkets and others will be immediate and significant.

To convert x L/100 km to y MPG, perform: