Bulk Bitumen Information

Bulk bitumen is the most economical method of exporting bitumen for medium and large-scale projects. This type of packing is cheaper than others, and it has suitable transportation costs.

To know more about the advantages and disadvantages, shipping conditions, and terms of purchase of bulk bitumen, follow the article.

Shipping of Bulk Bitumen

Well, altogether, the bulk bitumen needs a vessel at least with the minimum capacity of 1000 metric tonnes, and we have to know enough information about this vessel to see if it is capable of being transported and entering the dock and loading at the origin or not.

Bulk Bitumen Transportation

Bulk bitumen transportation needs trucks to pick up the bitumen cargo from the refinery and transfer it to the bulk vessel at the port. When it arrives at its destination, another bitumen truck picks up the bitumen cargo and delivers it to the project location or bitumen storage.

Bulk Bitumen Cargo Loading Rate

Bulk vessels can usually carry three to thirty thousand tons of liquid bitumen, but generally speaking, a small vessel with a capacity of three thousand metric tons, and the bigger one, which is thirty thousand metric tons, can be loaded in 24 to 96 hours, meaning 1 to 4 days.

Terms of Purchase

Terms of purchase are possible in two ways:

• The customer can introduce us to a bulk vessel. We announce when bitumen in the tank is ready to load at the origin. The vessel enters the dock and loads for 24 to 48 hours, then moves to the destination.
• Alternatively, we can introduce the vessel ourselves, and the ship enters the dock at a certain time and loads. The documents are given to the customer when the vessel is moving toward its destination. We receive the fee from the customer.

Advantages of Bulk Bitumen

• Cost: Bulk bitumen is not packaged in jumbo bags or any drums, so it has no packing and unpacking cost.
• Loading Duration Time: The loading duration time is less than in packing conditions, so cargo can be delivered more rapidly.
• Equipment: Since Bulk Bitumen is not packaged, it does not require different melting methods and can be delivered without excess operation.

Disadvantages of Bulk Bitumen

• Tonnage: It is cost-effective to use bulk bitumen in large volumes. The higher the tonnage, the lower the cost.
• Storage Tank: Bulk bitumen can only be sent to the destination port with a storage tank, limiting its distribution.
• Transportation Facility: Bulk bitumen requires a convenient transportation facility like bulk vessels, unlike packed bitumen that can be transferred to any project location.
• Storage Charge: High storage charges are incurred if bulk bitumen stays in storage for a long time.

Environmental Impact of Bulk Bitumen

One of the environmental side effects of bulk shipping is the massive amount of greenhouse gas emissions for the constant heating of the bitumen throughout the process.