Argus Bitumen & Asphalt Europe Conference

• European crude outlook for 2023-2024 
• How have sanctions impacted refineries around the United Kingdom and the EU? What are some the supply challenges in terms of crude accessibility?  
• Where do you see the future of refining in Europe heading? What can the market expect in terms of local supply?  

• An outlook and update regarding supply and demand in the European bitumen market 
• Will there be more opportunities for European supply in the US as the Biden administration begins to invest in infrastructure development?  
• There has been a significant amount of volatility in the market from price to quality and supply, how has the market responded? What can the market expect to see in 2023?  

Speaker: 

Keyvan Hedvat, Europe/Africa Editor—Argus Bitumen, Argus 

• It is no secret that the crude price over the past couple of years has faced intense volatility. What is causing this uncertainty?  
• What can middlemen and end users expect in the coming year regarding crude price and availability?    
• When will Venezuelan, Iranian or other sanctioned crude sources be available? How can the market continue to cope as local crude supply continues to dwindle and the refining process evolved?  

• Consumption in 2022 and outlook for 2023  
• What has been the impact of embargo on Russian supply in Europe? How and can Northern Europe bridge the supply gap? 
• Looking forward, how can this supply gap incentivize the push for sustainable bitumen alternatives?

Speaker:

Arnaud Wache, Business Development Manager, Continental Bitumen Colas

• Overview of supply and demand outlooks in the African bitumen market  
• Which region in Africa has the most opportunity in terms of road construction development?  
• How has the significant decrease in supply from South Africa impacted end users in the market? 
• The impacts of covid and an economic recession have impacted multiple commodity markets around the world, how has the African road construction sector been coping? Are there plans for greater investment in road infrastructure projects in 2023 and beyond? 

What does Nynas make of the current supply and demand outlook in Northern Europe in the wake of the Russia/Ukraine crisis?  

What role will Nynas play in the Northern European bitumen market moving forward? 

From a refinery perspective, how to do you view the future of the refining process being affected by sustainability efforts? Within the bitumen market and more generally? 

Speakers:

Simon Day, VP Sales & Marketing, Nynas

• How has terminal and storage infrastructure evolved in the past year as refineries continue to reconfigure and/or close? 
• How are companies approaching terminal infrastructure investments? Is this the time for infrastructure investment or should market participants be investing in more sustainable bitumen alternatives?  
• As the climate in the region continues to change and evolve, how has storage technology tried to adapt to this?  

• Historical overview of the bitumen trading relationship between Europe and the Americas 
• Will there be more opportunities in terms of European bitumen demand to the US as the Biden administration begins to invest in infrastructure development?   
• What impacts have covid, the looming recession, and energy price increases had on the Americas market? What have been some lessons learned over the past few years?   

• What is a carbon footprint? How is it measured and assessed?  
• Is there a responsible way for a producer, end user and/or contractor to market their carbon footprint and LCA?  
• Has carbon footprint reporting and LCA assessments contributed to greenwashing or accountability in the bitumen market?   

• Panellists will share an overview of their current road construction projects 
• How are road construction companies changing their practices to be more sustainable or “green”? 
• Are bio-binders and PMBs the solution to all or most of the sustainability obstacles in the road construction industry?   

Speakers:

José Javier García Pardenilla, Managing Director, Ditecpesa Asphalt Products, Ferrovial

Claude Giorgi, Technical Manager, Eiffage Route 

Vicky Smith, Regional Asphalt Director for Aggregate Industries UK, Lafarge Holcim   

• How has technology surrounding bio-bitumen technology evolved? Is there a product in the market that is ready for mass consumption?
• Is bio-bitumen a greenwashing ploy and/or distracting from actual sustainability challenges in the industry? 
• Is bio bitumen a viable alternative? Even if this change is 10-15 years away, will bitumen still an important aspect of road construction?  

• How will the lack of Russian crude in Europe affect bitumen quality and consistency for end users?  
• In-terms of quality and longevity, are softer or harder mixes more ideal? Which type is the market most likely to have access to for the foreseeable future? 
• What advice do you have for end-users in terms of mitigating problems around bitumen quality?  

Speaker:

Jeroen Besamusca, Principal Research Scientist, Kuwait Petroleum Research and Technology B.V.

• What has caused this significant jump in freight rate pricing?  
• How has the shipping industry weathered the storm? From a shipping perspective, what can the market expect for the near future?  
• How has the freight rate impacted end users and overall bitumen supply? 

• Overview of road project developments  
• What policies or initiatives has your country implemented to incentivise green practices in the road construction industry?  
• In terms of funding and investment, what is the infrastructure development outlook for your respective countries? 

Speaker:

Jan-Erik Lundmark, Senior Procurement and Maintenance Advisor, Swedish Transport Association