SAMI Bitumen Technologies’ parent company, COLAS, has a simple but instrumental principle. ‘One COLAS Bitumen’ unites the company’s subsidiaries around the world, helping to improve quality, sustainability and innovation globally.
Having a global and dominant industry footprint is a big responsibility. It’s also one that COLAS takes seriously, aiming to ensure that it leaves a positive legacy for the sector, on top of providing high-quality and sustainable bitumen supply and products.
COLAS and its subsidiaries operate in more than 50 countries across five continents, making it one of, if not the, largest providers in the world of materials and services for the development of transport infrastructure.
One important aspect to achieving this mission is global coordination.
‘One COLAS Bitumen’ (OCB), an initiative started in 2018 by COLAS, aims to treat bitumen not just as a material used in road construction, but as a technical product requiring sourcing, transport, storage, transformation, and sales. OCB brings together COLAS’ bitumen entities worldwide, including in Canada, the United States, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, to leverage knowledge, best practices and coordinate resources.
OCB annually supports the management of more than five million tonnes of bitumen globally.
Thierry Defrene, Bitumen Performance Director at COLAS says OCB helps to unite each of COLAS’ subsidiaries, even if they’re separated by culture and language.
“This is the very reason why we created the OCBs, because every business is very focused on responding locally to their own issues and matters,” he says. “The idea of OCB is to bring this to a next stage, to have exchanges around any opportunity or challenge that we might be facing.
“Once you’re able to pull and exchange from a global system, there’s always something that has been done somewhere else that can be transferred or adapted. Geographies, climate conditions, specifications, clients, and expectations are always different in different parts of the world. But the knowledge, expertise and problem solving in many ways is universal.”
Access to a global network of specialist bitumen businesses further supports the sharing and adaptation of solutions, many of which may be developed in differing regions.
This consolidation and exchange of expertise have already led to improvements and innovation in plant design, energy conservation, procurement, and product development.
Just one example is the success of the SAMIfalt EME (high modulus asphalt) binder across COLAS’ Australian subsidiary, SAMI Bitumen Technologies. Initially developed in France, this technology has since been transferred and adapted to local conditions.
Another is COLAS’ continued mission to not only increase the sustainability of its products, but also of its transport and logistical methodologies. This includes fully evaluating the company’s transport process.
Driven by OCB, the company has invested in and embraced ‘green’ bitumen vessels powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), significantly reducing carbon emissions during product transport. Such actions have also earned global recognition, with COLAS being awarded Singapore’s Green Vessel of the Year award.
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For Raphael Llobregat, General Manager of Continental Bitumen – a subsidiary of COLAS dedicated to bitumen in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America – such initiatives are aiding the operations of each company within the global network.
“One COLAS Bitumen is an aggregation of knowledge and expertise that put together, has tremendous power worldwide,” he says. “It’s more than a tool. It’s the strategy for the group to leverage its bitumen position.
“The platform allows for 24/7 use, facilitating communication and collaboration among different bitumen entities within the group. The global support and supply network benefits end users by sharing technologies, market intelligence, and best practices across different regions.”
Steve Moss, Director of Asphalt Supply and Technical Solutions at COLAS USA, agrees, saying the development of the aforementioned transport logistics is a shining example of OCB in action.
“In the US, we are happy to have the global network supporting our initiatives such as low-carbon binder options,” he says.
“Being part of a globally connected network allows us to participate in the bitumen market, providing a unique view of the factors driving the market, not just locally, but worldwide.
“To me personally, it means I can approach our business challenges with confidence knowing that I have a team of experts that stretches across the globe whose experience and talent are just a phone call away.”
Local role
Australia’s SAMI Bitumen Technologies’ role in the OCB platform continues to grow, with other subsidiaries often looking to their Australian counterpart to learn more about the development and structural success of the business.
Defrene says that the support of OCB has allowed SAMI to tackle what is a unique market, with requirements and market demands differing greatly from state to state.
“SAMI has a lot of history and a lot of know-how. The business has been developed really well with an excellent team of people and experts in all fields,” he says.
“Today, I look at Australia as being an entity that is critical to feeding the OCB, best practice and operational excellence in certain areas, while pulling from the best of the rest overseas.”
This includes a large commitment to the development of bio-components and compounds within emulsions and additives, helping to provide a positive influence on the broader market – the ultimate goal of the OCB platform.
“What’s exciting is that we have the platform, knowledge and technology to tackle any problem, anywhere,” Defrene says. “Not only does it provide opportunities for our staff to travel the world and embrace new markets, but it also shows an intent to develop and improve bitumen in the long term.”
This article was originally published in the November edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
