Matters 01.21
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TALKING POINT NYNAS MOVING FORWARD SAFETY INTERVIEW European road Market focus with Minimising the risk The road to maintenance financial strength of boil-over new mobility matters 01.21 Tough demands on durability “We opted for a polymer modified binder for paving the most heavily used parts of the port area.” Linus Gustafsson, NCC Industry nynas.com/bitumenmatters EDITORIAL Full speed ahead After a challenging 2020, Nynas is emerging as a stronger company, not only financially, but also in terms of production and feedstock supplies. S WE WELCOMED 2020, we were expecting Nynas company reorganisation to be the major challenge. Looking back, we can now see that COVID-19 had a bigger practical impact. The effects of the pandemic have been felt throughout the entire oil market, in terms of both Aprices and the balance between supply and demand. The pandemic P14 has also accelerated the transformation of the refinery industry. We have refinery closures as well as conversions to biorefineries. The Interview In this turbulent situation, we have nevertheless been able to An international benchmarking continue our strategic focus to create greater feedstock flexibility, while succeeding in providing the market with the products it demanded. study is analysing the role of the We would never have managed this without our loyal customers, industry in the transformation hauliers and other business partners or our dedicated employees. of the road infrastructure and 2020 saw the lifting of sanctions on Nynas due to our previous owner changed mobility. structure, and we also completed the company reorganisation. Due to great support from our biggest creditors, we have emerged from the reorganisation a stronger company, with financing secured for five years CONTENTS #1 2021 and a strong balance sheet. All in all, this means that we can now direct our full focus on the future and once more reinforce confidence in Nynas. One priority area is our sustainable development initiatives. 04 TALKING POINT 10 PROJECTS Among other things, the Gothenburg refinery has invested in new The lack of funding Find out about some furnaces that are fired with natural gas/biogas, and on the product for road maintenance interesting projects all side we are continuing our work on the ReSolution sustainability is a growing problem in over Europe, including a concept. COVID-19 will continue to affect the reality for Europe. Wide-ranging major recycling programme both us and our customers in 2021, but we are now initiatives are now on the heavily used A92 well-equipped to manage the situation. required in order to in Fife, Scotland. avoid further I would also like to highlight the positive trend 12 NYNAS MOVING deterioration. in the area of safety. We have been working for FORWARD many years to minimise the risk of accidents. 06 THE CASE Following a successful Piteå Port & Hub in company reorganisation, This has taken the form of investments northern Sweden opted Nynas is well positioned at depots and refineries, as well as training for a polymer modified to work together with and collaboration with customers and binder when asphalting customers to continue hauliers to update and safeguard the most heavily used building on the company’s procedures. These are initiatives parts of the new port strengths. area. that will continue with undiminished 13 SAFETY vigour during 2021. 09 THE MOMENT When water comes into All that remains is for me to wish you At the Nynas refinery contact with hot bitumen, all a good start to the new paving year! in Harburg, bitumen is there is a powerful loaded onto oil tankers reaction. Eurobitume using a remote controlled has produced a practical Mikael Blank loading arm. Deliveries manual to raise levels of BUSINESS AREA DIRECTOR are made to ports safety awareness about BITUMEN NORDIC around the North Sea. boil-overs. Bitumen Matters is a freely distributed market magazine published by Nynas AB, PO Box 10700, S-121 29 Stockholm, Sweden. Website: www.nynas.com Project Manager: Eva Näslund Carlsson Editorial Board: Johanna Andréasson, Jane Dunne, Benny Jandér, Eva Näslund Carlsson, Carl Robertus Production: Hedengren Media Design: Spektra Printing: Print/R Translation: LanguageWire Cover photo: Maria Fäldt Subscriptions: [email protected] The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or Nynas AB. 2 BITUMEN MATTERS NOTED Hello there… Anna Keereweer, Why electric road systems? Refinery Manager in Gothenburg, Sweden ONE IMPORTANT factor in the development power, which is supplemented by standard of the roads of the future is the requirement batteries when the vehicle leaves the road for reduced CO2 emissions, especially from to deliver its load. For Swedish conditions, heavy goods vehicles (HGV). According to the Swedish Transport Administration the consultancy company WSP, for example, believes that it will be profitable to build it could be possible for two thirds of HGV electric road systems covering 2-3,000 km transport activities in Sweden to take place of the national road network. on electric road systems by 2030. Such a transition requires significant Sweden is a role model in this area. investments in new, powerful electricity It was back in 2016 that the world’s very grids that can supply power to the major first electric section of road for HGVs was motorways. Another challenge is the fact created, on the E16 north of Stockholm. that a process of expansion is under way A few years later there was a corresponding across Europe, which in turn requires initiative in Germany. an international standard defining how Tell us a bit about the refinery! The focus is on HGVs. This is because the electrically powered vehicles are to be The Nynas refinery in batteries used in private cars do not have charged while driving. Only then can it Gothenburg was opened sufficient capacity for use in vehicles that be possible to transport goods using HGVs back in 1956. It was originally have to drive long distances with a heavy from Malaga in the south all the way to used to manu facture fuels, but the main focus is now on load. An electric road system provides North Cape in Norway, without the need bitumen, with installations even the heaviest vehicles with sufficient to re-fuel. ■ for special products such as oxidised bitumen, PMB and bitumen emulsions. Where do deliveries of the finished products go? Most of the products we produce go to the Nordic markets. But we also deliver certain products outside the Nordic region. How much can you produce? The plant has a design capacity equivalent to 80 tonnes/hour. What’s new for 2021? We’ve just completed one of Photo: Gustav Lindh Photo: Gustav our biggest-ever investments. This means that in spring we’ll be starting up the plant with two new furnaces, which will be fired by natural gas/biogas. The new fuel, combined with enhanced efficiency, will create a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. Are you an asphalt hero? And if we look a little way into the future? V To highlight all the everyday heroes old-fashioned business. To spread the I’m optimistic about the future who build and maintain our roads, as well message, EAPA is going to produce for the refinery, and I’m proud as attract more young people to work posters and online information, which of our wonderful teams who in the asphalt industry, the European highlight various people giving their are constantly developing Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA) is unique accounts of their work. the business based on new currently running the #Asphalt_Heroes Interested in finding out more – and conditions. At the moment, campaign. The aim of the campaign is maybe even sharing your own experiences of course, we’re working to show that the industry can offer a and explaining why your job is so inspiring? actively to manage and wide range of innovative, future-oriented Go to eapa.org/asphaltheroes to find all minimise the risk of infection jobs and is not, as many believe, a dirty, the details. ■ from COVID-19. BITUMEN MATTERS 3 TALKING POINT ROAD MAINTENANCE, A EUROPEAN CHALLENGE “ The aim is to highlight the extra cost that is the consequence of maintenance works being postponed.” S IN MOST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, together both public and private actors in maintenance of infrastructure the area of French transport infrastructure. is one of the biggest challenges The consequences of inadequate main- A in France. It is a complex area, tenance are obvious. The challenge we are and the initiatives undertaken facing is to improve knowledge of how the road have to be part of an overall strategy that network is deteriorating based on three main makes it possible to reconcile the need for factors: climate conditions, traffic and operating improvements with the actual budget available. conditions and construction techniques. This When it comes to road maintenance in will enable us to assess more precisely how particular, it is difficult to quantify the need improvements affect the useful life of roads. exactly as it depends on multiple parameters. Experience shows that regular maintenance To achieve better accuracy in its estimates, makes it possible to avoid serious deterioration Didier Colin the national and local authorities in charge that requires interventions further down the Managing Director of the roads in France have created a shared line, which are both more expensive and more IDRRIM – Institute for Roads, tool, the National Road Observatory. This is an disruptive for traffic. The term usually used in Streets & Infrastructures important step to evaluate the management of this context is a grey debt. This is a debt, the for Mobility the road network, technically and financially, amount of which is concealed and that grows ð More at: www.idrrim.com/en.htm and to apply the right priorities in a situation if no action is taken.