The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s turn-around time for fixing potholes and the tarring of roads is currently adversely affected due to the national shortage of bitumen supplied by refineries all over the country.
Bitumen is used in the manufacturing process to produce asphalt, which is a sticky black conglomerate, used in road construction where it is used to repair potholes, general road repairs and new road surfacing.
Over the last couple of months, bitumen was either not available or its availability was periodic, and led to work progress being retarded. The municipality, like the contractors in the city, is forced to stand in line at the factory to wait for asphalt to be loaded and the high demand automatically causes a rush from all the interested parties.
Over the last few months backlogs have increased in the repair of potholes and general road repair work has been significantly retarded due to the national bitumen shortage.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Standing Committee Chairperson, Cllr Andile Mfunda, said the municipality regrets the delay.
“Although this is a situation beyond our control, we are doing our utmost to avoid a major inconvenience to residents of Nelson Mandela Bay and visitors.
Indications are that the national supply of LP gas will also be affected due to the supply problems at the refineries.
The Infrastructure and Engineering Directorate is doing its best to repair potholes on a temporary basis using whatever materials are currently available. Even gravel is being used as temporary filler in some instances. All potholes will be properly reinstated when the bitumen supply returns to normal sometime early in the new year.
The municipality is however currently receiving some asphalt from the local factory, but continuous supply cannot be guaranteed.
“Luckily our great maintenance work over the years ensured that our roads are in a great condition,” Cllr Mfunda added.
Editor’s Notes: During October this year Much Asphalt CEO and Southern Africa Bitumen Association chairperson Phillip Hechter said that the current shortage has cost the asphalt industry and its customers R2.3-billion to date, not to mention the unquantified costs of roads falling even deeper into disrepair, and the closure of smaller companies.
“In 31 years in this industry, I have never experienced a situation like this. Natref is the only refinery that has any bitumen and they are only feeding one or two loads per day into the system and that is for the whole country. I can foresee this situation continuing for the next four to six months”, said Hechter.
The current shortage of supply started with a fire at the Engen refinery, in Durban, on 10 October, with the operation now shut down until 23 November, and bitumen only expected to flow at the beginning of December. Following a lengthy shutdown period, the Sapref refinery was supposed to be on line with bitumen supply on 15 October, but it now appears that this may only happen towards the end of October. Bitumen stock at Chevron, in Cape Town, was depleted by 4 October, as demand outstripped supply, and the bitumen plant has been experiencing problems. The only remaining refinery, Natref, is now left to cope with excessive demand on its systems, with the situation expected to improve somewhat from late November. Hechter says the only solution to the problem is to import bitumen.
During the second week of October four of South Africa’s six refineries were reported as “….not in a position to produce LPG during this week.” and the warning; “The growing unplanned shutdowns are becoming a threat to security of supply of some of the petroleum products particularly LPG and bitumen,” was given by the Energy Minister.
