Shell Pilipinas Corp. on Monday said its bitumen business is seen posting double-digit growth this year on the back of heightened activities related to the upcoming election of national and local officials and on the sustained pursuit of the government’s Build Better More program.
Bitumen is a byproduct of fuel refinery operations that when mixed with aggregates make up the asphalt necessary for the construction of roads and airport runways. Already, Pilipinas Shell officials noted, the Department of Budget and Management has ramped up the budget for transportation and tourism agencies to optimize the impact of the BBM program.
Allan Canedo, Shell Pilipinas country business manager for construction and road sector, told reporters in a briefing in Makati City on Monday the business projects selling 40 to 45 kilotons (KT) of bitumen this year, far more than only 36 KT in 2023.
Canedo said the business imports bitumen from Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia and that Shell Pilipinas has two receiving terminals for bitumen in Batangas and Cagayan de Oro capable of handling 10 KT.
Canedo said the bulk of bitumen orders are purchased by companies implementing government-led projects.
Big-ticket projects consuming bitumen last year alone include the Kennon Road rehabilitation project in Benguet, the Palawan circumferential road project, the Manila-Batangas bypass road project and the Iloilo national road maintenance program.
But this year, Canedo said the airport runway upgrades in Laoag, Tacloban, Puerto Princesa and M’lang all use Shell bitumen products.
As does the Bataan-Cavite interlink bridge, among others the Pilipinas Shell official said.
