Yellowline Asphalt Products Ltd. recently welcomed the terminal’s first vessel, which was carrying 7,500 tons of bulk liquid asphalt.
The asphalt will be used for road construction projects throughout Ontario. The vessel load is the equivalent to about 100 rail cars.
The tanker MV Thalassa Desgagnes docked at the Port of Hamilton’s Pier 23 and used a new aboveground pipeline from the vessel to transfer the asphalt directly to Yellowline’s storage tanks at Pier 22.
“The ability to bring product in by vessel adds a dimension of efficiency. Our terminal location at the Port of Hamilton gives us the flexibility to use road, rail and marine, depending on our needs,” said Suresh Daljeet, operations manager.
Dufferin Construction, a division of Holcim Canada Inc., and Aecon Group Ltd. joined forces in 2011 to streamline their supply chains for asphalt cement. The companies launched a joint venture, Yellowline Asphalt Products Ltd., constructing a new asphalt cement tank farm and mixing facility on Pier 22.
Asphalt pavement is made up of 95 per cent aggregate and five per cent asphalt cement. The asphalt cement binds the aggregate together and helps resist rutting and cracking.
The new tank facility offers 30,000 tons of capacity, or about three months’ supply.
There is also a mixing tank to produce a range of grades and four 1,000-ton day tanks to hold the asphalt cement immediately prior to shipping. An in-house lab allows Yellowline to produce numerous, precise formulations for modern construction projects.
