The annual Argus Asian Bitumen conference is Asia’s longest-running bitumen event offering very informative presentations and ample networking opportunities. Conference 2013 was held at Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore and attended by an audience of over 150 participants who are leaders in the Bitumen industry, professionals, academics and other industry stake holders in Asia and other regions.
Presenting the topic of ‘Developments in Sri Lanka’s Bitumen Demand’ Siriwardena provided vital information on the use of Bitumen and related progress of large number of road construction and rehabilitation projects carried out in Sri Lanka under the ‘Mahinda Chintana’ programme of President Mahinda Rajapaksha. Mahinda Chintana vision statement of the president has indentified development of road net work as one of seven key priority areas during 2011 - 2020. The post war development programmes in the war torn Northern and Eastern provinces too have prioritized rehabilitation and reconstruction of the entire road net work. New Expressway projects connecting strategic regional cities of the country adds more demand for Bitumen in the country.
He also explained the recent technical developments in the Bitumen industry in Sri Lanka, especially with regard to introduction of Polymer Modified grades of Bitumen on local roads for the first time in the country. Further to that the manufacturing of Clear bitumen for the first time in Sri Lanka, which is the base material for coloured Asphalt caught special attention of the audience. Clear Bitumen is manufactured only in Sri Lanka in this region and the response of audience signalled that the product will have a good export potential.
The presentation not only paved the opportunity to update the participants on the developments of the Bitumen demand of the country but also to get a glimpse of the country’s peaceful environment which is free of terrorism, encouraging the participants to visit Sri Lanka as a great tourist destination.