Bitumen prices surge as Estonia studies plastic waste for asphalt

Bitumen prices have risen by nearly half in two weeks, while Estonia’s Transport Administration is commissioning a study into replacing some of the material in asphalt with plastic waste, ERR reported.

Mart Arusoo of the Transport Administration said using plastic could reduce the environmental footprint, cut reliance on imported bitumen and recycle plastic that would otherwise be burned.

Bitumen makes up an average of 5% of asphalt mix. Estonia produces about 1.2 million tonnes of asphalt mix a year, which Arusoo said contains around 60,000 tonnes of bitumen. Replacing 5% of that bitumen would mean using about 3,000 tonnes of plastic, he said, and the equivalent amount of bitumen is currently worth more than two million euros.

The price of bitumen has climbed from about 550 euros per tonne to 700 to 750 euros over the past two weeks. Arusoo said prices move in line with oil prices and global politics, and that the next few weeks were difficult to predict.

Only one company is supplying bitumen to Estonia this year: Poland’s Orlen, which is based in Lithuania. Before the war, most of Estonia’s bitumen came from Belarus or Russia.

The study will assess the economics and supply of plastic suitable for asphalt production, including the quantities that could be brought to Estonia. Arusoo said plastic could be a viable option while it costs 100 to 200 euros per tonne and bitumen remains more expensive.

The project is scheduled to run until early 2029, with monitoring continuing for another five years. It has a budget of nearly 800,000 euros, including VAT, and is funded by the Government Office’s Public Sector Innovation Fund.