Continental Bitumen, Colas' bitumen procurement, logistics and distribution unit, will make the inaugural delivery into its new bitumen terminal in Bristol, southwest England, this month.
Completion of the terminal, which has a capacity of at least 20,000t plus an undisclosed buffer capacity, was repeatedly delayed from its original plan to be completed by mid-2022.
The terminal project was accompanied by Continental Bitumen's move to order two 21,500dwt bitumen tankers which entered into service last year. Neither vessel will be making this first delivery into Bristol, with the cargo instead being moved on board the 12,780dwt San Du Ao, loaded at Tupras' export terminal at Izmit, Turkey, and scheduled to arrive at Bristol on 25-27 January, according to vessel tracking information. The tanker is under time charter with Continental Bitumen.
The UK, already a major bitumen importer, became more import reliant when Prax's 105,700 b/d Lindsey refinery ceased bitumen production in the first quarter of 2023, although that was followed by expansion of bitumen storage capacity to 20,000-30,000t at the Navigator Terminals bitumen facility at Teesside, northeast England, which is used by TotalEnergies. Other UK import terminals are at Eastham, northwest England, Belfast in Northern Ireland and Dundee, Scotland, as well as Thames terminals.
Trafigura subsidiary Puma Energy has suspended its bitumen barge operations at Newport, Wales, but will continue to supply domestic UK customers through its other bitumen import terminal at Dagenham on the Thames. The firm is expected to increase Dagenham throughput and inward truck supply to domestic UK customers to help compensate for the Newport halt.
