West Africa’s biggest bitumen plant

July saw the ceremonial sod cutting for a project to build West Africa’s biggest bitumen plant: a joint venture between Ghana’s oil company GOIL and Societe Multinationale de Bitumes (SMB) of the Ivory Coast. The project, which will cost around US$35 million according to GOIL, is in Tema Ghana. With a capacity of 8,000tonnes, it will produce AC10 and AC20 bitumen and polymer modified bitumen (PMB). Speaking at the ceremony, Ghana’s minister of energy John Peter Amewu said: “Due to the success of the PMB
September 19, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
July saw the ceremonial sod cutting for a project to build West Africa’s biggest bitumen plant: a joint venture between Ghana’s oil company GOIL and Societe Multinationale de Bitumes (SMB) of the Ivory Coast. The project, which will cost around US$35 million according to GOIL, is in Tema Ghana. With a capacity of 8,000tonnes, it will produce AC10 and AC20 bitumen and polymer modified bitumen (PMB).


Speaking at the ceremony, Ghana’s minister of energy John Peter Amewu said: “Due to the success of the PMB, which is proven to give a longer lifespan to asphalted roads, the Ghana Highways Authority also plans to continue using it for all major highways resurfacing or construction in the country.”

Ghana’s road network of over 63,000km needs repair and modernisation. According to management consultants Investigroup, which has an office in Ghana, a rehabilitation programme of $1.5 billion/year for the next ten years would be needed to get the roads up to a good standard.

Materials

Related Content

  • Shell Bitumen’s new technology cuts air-polluting emissions by 40%
    May 15, 2019
    Shell Bitumen has developed molecular technology that cuts 40% of air-polluting emissions -Kristina Smith reports Shell Bitumen is launching a new technology which drastically reduces the amount of harmful air pollutants produced when asphalt mixes are manufactured and laid on the roads. Called Shell Bitumen FreshAir, it reduces six of the seven pollutants produced by at least 40%. The seventh, ozone, is produced in too small an amount to measure changes. “The World Health Organisation has said that 90%
    Read More
  • The UK is ready for rubber – Tarmac’s new asphalt solution
    September 6, 2019
    A huge surplus of waste tyres and a strengthening commitment towards sustainability from local authorities has prompted asphalt supplier Tarmac to invest in technology to add crumb rubber to its mixes "Local authorities want to be green, sustainable and environmentally friendly,” said Tarmac’s technical director Brian Kent. “I get the sense that these issues are more important to them now. I do think we are going to get some traction.” Around 40 million tyres are worn out every year in the UK. Though
    Read More
  • From rubber to nanotechnology, new additives give longer life
    March 12, 2014
    This month: rubber comes to the rescue for cash-strapped UK authorities and Italian towns plagued by road noise; Japanese nanotechnology fights monsoon damage in India; and a new research programme promises to help define whether ‘sustainable’ bitumen technologies really live up to their billing - Kristina Smith writes A new venture in the UK aims to encourage the use of recycled tyres in road pavements. Billian UK is now manufacturing GTR Pellets which combine bitumen, ground tyre rubber (GTR) and miner
    Read More
  • Road construction in Ghana
    August 23, 2022
    A new generation asphalt plant has proved its worth for the construction of an important road link in Ghana.
    Read More

Highlighted Content