As Jamaica’s leading producer and supplier of bitumen - the binding/adhesive component that is used in the production of asphalt for roads – Petrojam has been appointed the exclusive supplier of asphalt for the country’s Relief Emergency Assistance and Community Help (REACH) and Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to Our Road Network (SPARK) programmes.
Now in full implementation, the road infrastructure initiatives are to be powered by a supply of over 4.4 million litres of bitumen produced at Petrojam’s refinery in Kingston.
“We are leveraging the power of local expertise and years of trusted experience to play a pivotal role in such a transformative nation-building initiative. Our bitumen production facility has been operating at peak efficiency to meet the miles of demands that both projects will throw at us,” said Telroy Morgan, General Manager for Petrojam, in a release.
Morgan cited that Petrojam produces and supplies various grades of bitumen to local and overseas markets, including penetration and performance grades, both of which are manufactured to very strict industry standards.
Bitumen is a viscous, black, sticky substance primarily derived from the crude oil through the refining process. It can also occur naturally in deposits. The Pitch Lake in La Brea Trinidad has the largest deposit of bitumen in the world.
“Our rigorous quality control measures ensure that every batch of bitumen meets the highest standards for the integrity of our roads, thereby giving much assurance to the National Works Agency (NWA) and its contactors,” Morgan further stated.
Petrojam’s bitumen has paved other major local roads, including Highway 2000, TransJam Highway, and the Southern Coastal Highway (Harbour View to Portland) project that is now in the Morant Bay to Port Antonio phase. The company is also to supply bitumen for the upcoming Montego Bay Bypass road project.
With its history of being Jamaica’s primary supplier of performance-grade bitumen, Petrojam has also supported runway resurfacing and expansion projects at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, and Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, St James – both of which required a high-quality asphalt grade to guarantee safe and efficient aircraft movement.
“Our supply of performance-grade bitumen is demonstrative of Petrojam’s commitment to diversifying our product offerings and delivering innovative solutions, while supporting critical infrastructure needs. Building a reputation of supply reliability positions us to expand into new markets and promote Brand Jamaica,” said Morgan.
