Bangkok, 8 October 2020 – The Shell Company of Thailand Ltd. aims to create a ‘Better Life’ from Shell Bitumen business, movingforward with innovative technology for sustainable paving solutions. Shell Bitumen globally places importance on all stakeholders in every sector and continues to invest, explore and develop potential solutions that can facilitate better mobility, logistics and transport while considering environmental impacts, cost efficiency, and safety for sustainable development.
For 100 years, our bitumen business has changed dramatically from our first bitumen manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom in 1919, to the work we are currently doing to create smart surfaces of the future. Shell Bitumen supplies a wide range of high-quality products, from standard-grade bitumen to special polymer-modified bitumen marketed under the brand name Shell Cariphalte®. Our bitumen is used on a wide variety of road surfaces around the world, from urban roads and highways, to airport runways and Formula One™ racetracks. Shell Bitumen provided bitumen solutions and technical expertise for the iconic Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in China, the world’s longest man-made sea crossing, which opened in 2018 and is touted as a wonder of the modern world.
Mr. Thanes Rajatapiti, Regional GM Bitumen – Asia, Middle East, The Shell Company of Thailand, said: “Shell Bitumen is the world’s largest international bitumen marketer with customers in 52 markets. We supply enough bitumen to help resurface 500 kilometres of road every day. Shell Bitumen understands customer needs and requirements in order to design ready solutions that meet those needs in terms of safety, cost efficiency and being fit for purpose. Shell is proud to support governmental policy in each country worldwide as well as in Thailand. These solutions will be part of the growth engine to support the country in road paving and infrastructure including transport networks. We trust that our innovative technology and solutions will lead to a Better Life and sustainable development.”
In Thailand, Shell Bitumen has been operating for over 90 years. The first bitumen sold in Thailand was drum container, supporting the initial phase of new road construction. Later, Shell fully pursued the bitumen business to support the increasing demand for commuting and transport as a result of Thailand’s continuous growth and development. Shell Bitumen is ready to collaborate with every sector to deliver innovations and road resurfacing solutions, with the aim of supporting a better quality of life for people in Thai society today and into the next century.
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 Shell Bitumen FreshAir |  Shell Bitumen FreshAir during the field trial in Thailand |
 The iconic Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in China |  A race track in Barcelona |
About Shell Bitumen’s business and its products
Shell is a leader in bitumen technology and has more than 200 bitumen and asphalt related inventions. We operate our global bitumen R&D Centre in Bangalore, India, and a network of regional solution centres, strategically located in China, France and Thailand. We are developing new technologies that create more durable, sustainable and energy-efficient roads and our pioneering innovations in coloured binders, low-temperature solutions, low-odour bitumen and underwater adhesives have set the industry standards for these applications.
Shell Bitumen FreshAir® (BFA)
Shell Bitumen is the first major bitumen supplier to develop a solution that addresses impacts on air quality. Shell BFA has been shown to help reduce emissions of specific gases and particulates from asphalt mixtures during production and paving by an average of 40% when compared to conventional bitumen. By switching to Shell BFA, it is estimated to have a similar effect on particulate matter (PM10) as planting an average of 16 trees; or a similar impact on the reduction of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) equivalent to removing an average of 40 cars per kilometre of asphalt laid per year.
Shell Cariphalte®
Circuit Zandvoort, Netherlands: Shell Cariphalte® Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB) can be formulated to tackle challenges like resisting deformation and shear stresses or providing better adhesion with aggregates than conventional bitumen. It was the perfect material for the renovation of Circuit Zandvoort where a cold and coastal climate puts the track under greater threat of failure.
Shell Mexphalte® C
Beijing – China: Designed to provide a clear delineation between lanes of traffic in order to improve flow and safety, especially during the Beijing Olympics, Shell’s Mexphalte® C colour binder was used to create red asphalt bus lanes on key routes throughout the city, combining durability with visual functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Shell Flintkote®
China: Shell Bitumen’s product portfolio extends to waterproofing and even underwater solutions. Shell Flintkote® Bridgecoat was used on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge as a sealant that can withstand even wet and humid conditions, a key factor for the tunnel sections of this illustrious project. Shell Bitumen’s portfolio of products reflects the diverse needs of our customers. Our research and development capabilities allow us to provide increasingly customised solutions that meet their specific requirements. Innovation drives our business, and we will keep finding new ways to build better, more sustainable roads.
Sustainability Strategy and Sustainable Solutions
As part of ‘Trusted Partner for Better Life’, Shell Bitumen has decades of experience innovating resource-efficient products and finding new and improved solutions for the road paving industry. Shell continues to invest in, explore and develop any opportunities for the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy.
Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP)
Asphalt is one of the world’s most recycled materials and demonstrates the circular economy in action. In addition to reducing construction costs, recycling asphalt can also help conserve resources. Asphalt recycling (recovering and reusing) and maximising the use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in new road construction helps reduce waste, conserves natural resources and increases resource efficiency.
Shell has spent decades studying the chemistry of bitumen, as well as thoroughly testing bitumen blends with RAP. We have created polymer-modified bitumen, which gives customers peace of mind that a road built with a proportion of RAP can deliver very high performance and durability – approaching that of a brand-new road, without compromising on surface resistance or durability.
Low Temperature (LT)
Specially designed to work at production temperatures of up to 30? Celsius lower than conventional asphalt, our LT bitumen reduces the amount of energy needed and subsequent greenhouse gas production when being used to lay roads. LT technology improves the workability and density of asphalt mixtures, as well as allowing the mixtures to be transported over longer distances and time.
