BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy has proposed shifting part of the country's road bitumen procurement to the winter months to reduce seasonal supply bottlenecks and ensure construction companies have sufficient materials before the start of the peak road-building season.
This was reflected in the statement by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan.
Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov outlined the proposal during a visit to the Caspi Bitum refinery in Aktau, where he discussed measures to improve the efficiency of bitumen supply for Kazakhstan's road construction sector.
The ministry said the initiative aims to smooth demand throughout the year, reducing pressure on producers during the summer months, when most contractors purchase bitumen simultaneously.
"Kazakhstan's plants are capable of meeting the needs of the road construction sector, but the greatest pressure occurs during the summer, when most contractors begin purchasing bitumen at the same time," Akkenzhenov said.
"If part of these purchases is shifted to the off-season, road construction companies will be able to buy bitumen during a calmer period without seasonal demand spikes. This will help distribute production more evenly, avoid loading queues and make more efficient use of budget funds allocated for road projects," he added.
The proposal follows the completion of a modernization program at Caspi Bitum in 2025, which was finalized ahead of schedule. The upgrade increased the refinery's crude oil processing capacity to 1.5 million metric tons per year, while maximum annual production of road bitumen reached 750,000 metric tons. According to the ministry, the facility's production capacity is sufficient to fully meet Kazakhstan's domestic demand for road bitumen. The average selling price remains at approximately 165,000 tenge ($310) per metric ton.
The ministry also highlighted packaged bitumen as a potential solution for balancing seasonal demand. Unlike liquid bitumen, packaged products can be manufactured during the winter, stored outdoors without losing performance characteristics, and used during the peak construction season.
Officials said wider use of packaged bitumen could reduce dependence on specialized storage terminals required for liquid bitumen while lowering infrastructure costs associated with additional storage capacity.
During the visit, Akkenzhenov also reviewed Caspi Bitum's production of polymer-modified bitumen, which offers greater resistance to high temperatures, heavy traffic loads, and changing weather conditions. The refinery can produce up to 200,000 metric tons of the material annually if demand from road construction companies warrants it.
"Experience from the Aktobe and Mangystau regions shows that road surfaces built using polymer-modified bitumen retain their performance characteristics for longer," the ministry said.
Separately, the Ministry of Energy said it is working with other government agencies to establish a specialized research center dedicated to developing advanced technologies for the production and application of road construction materials. Officials said the center is expected to accelerate the adoption of innovative materials and technologies in Kazakhstan's highway construction sector, supporting the country's broader efforts to improve transport infrastructure and enhance the durability of its road network.
