HOT SEAT
BITUMEN
faces an uncertain future
AECI Much Asphalt’s Pomona Plant
As an industry leader, AECI Much Asphalt’s reputation for product innovation and quality is backed up by proactive supply chain management to meet current and future demand. IMIESA speaks to Riaan Odendaal, National Operations Executive, about the road ahead and research into carbon-neutral binder alternatives that could eventually replace conventional bitumen. How has the asphalt industry in South Africa been impacted by the Covid-19 restrictions of the past two years? RO The construction industry in general was impacted severely by not only delays due to restrictions on movement, but also by the reallocation of government funds to fight the pandemic. The asphalt industry lost significant volumes in 2020 and 2021,
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IMIESA April 2022
with bitumen offtake by AECI Much Asphalt dropping 28%.
Are you seeing an uptick in demand for asphalt products and what are your expectations for 2022? We are experiencing a definite improvement in activity so far in 2022. The number of contract awards is encouraging, although not at pre-pandemic levels.
What is the significance of bitumen in the production of asphalt? Bitumen is a binding agent produced from crude oil refining that makes up between 4% and 7% of most asphalt mixes. It has unique viscoelastic properties that contribute significantly to asphalt durability, and there are no commercial alternatives currently available. Bitumen is also extensively used in other road surfacing alternatives like seals and slurries.
The closure of the Sapref Refinery has impacted the availability of bitumen to meet the needs of the South African asphalt sector. Please elaborate. The Sapref Refinery in Durban supplied
about 900 t of bitumen to the local industry daily. This shortfall will not be met locally, as Natref in Sasolburg is the only refinery in South Africa currently producing bitumen. Various industry players have put contingency plans in place to source and store imported bitumen that should make up for the shortfall, although at a higher cost.
How are other refineries responding to this situation? To the best of our knowledge, Natref is already operating at capacity and is not planning to increase bitumen production. Astron in Cape Town has indicated a refinery restart in the latter part of 2022, but it is unclear whether this plant will produce bitumen again and, if so, which grades.
How will the forced importation of bitumen impact asphalt prices and quality? All imported binders will be subjected to the same rigorous quality control processes developed
Riaan Odendaal, National Operations Executive, AECI Much Asphalt
