Hi,

Bitumen is supplied in very large quantities and of various grades depending on the penetration resistance required.

The manufacturing process produces a liquid which is maintained at about 160^oC throughout the manufacturing storage, loading, delivery and end use.

At the destination the melt is stored in other large storage tanks until final use. All the handling stages present severe hazards to all personnel involved and require a lot of heating and insulation along the way.

It would be much safer and cheaper if the bitumen was allowed to solidify as monolithic pallets as soon as it was produced. Then the pallets could be loaded onto flatbed trucks, delivered any time, stored anywhere and just added to the, now smaller, melting tanks at the point of use. There would be no need for lagged piping, storage tank heating or pressure retaining insulted tanker trailers.

I suggest bitumen refiners and their customers could economise their operations and offer improved safety.

Does the panel agree?

Are their any plans for new bitumen refineries? ■