FM Conway importing and supplying bitumen from new Thames terminal

FM Conway has started to import and supply bitumen from its new Imperial Wharf site in Gravesend, Kent.

The company has forged a new collaboration with ExxonMobil and is importing bitumen from its refinery near Antwerp, Belgium.

The new facility, which has undergone a £2.5 million refurbishment, is located on the River Thames and has the capacity to dock and store up to 7,500 tonnes of bitumen.

Investment in the new terminal ensures that FM Conway can provide highways clients and partners in London and the south east with a long-term, secure supply of bitumen to help them manage supply chain costs.

The new bitumen facility provides a further boost to FM Conway’s self-delivery model, which is underpinned by the firm’s in-house expertise and ability to supply up to 700,000 tonnes of asphalt each year from two state-of-the-art plants at Erith and the newly opened Heathrow Asphalt.

Michael Conway (pictured), chief executive officer of FM Conway, said: “With global bitumen refinery capacity decreasing, there is a trend for less bitumen to be available. This new collaboration with ExxonMobil allows us to secure a long-term supply of bitumen, giving us full control over our supply and allowing us to cut input costs and, crucially, give security of supply to clients and partners.”

FM Conway is maximising Imperial Wharf’s riverside location by using the River Thames as a strategic waterway to reduce road transport movements and cut carbon emissions. The refurbished facility and jetty will also provide the capacity for FM Conway to import and store a variety of other construction materials.