The Unsung Heroes of Nynas Bitumen Supply Across the Nordics
From the north Baltic coast of Sweden to the fjords outside of Oslo, a dedicated team works tirelessly behind the scenes at Nynas’s network of locally managed depots to ensure a steady delivery of bitumen and specialty products to customers across the region.
An array of imposing, silver-hued bins that make up the Nynas bitumen depot in Holmsund stand strategically on a finger of land jutting out into the Baltic Sea outside of Umeå, Sweden.
Most days, Depot Manager Fredrik Andersson can be found bustling about the facility, usying himself with any number of tasks.
“I’m certainly not lacking for things to do,” he says. As half of the two-man team that manages the depot’s operations, Andersson likens running the depot to running a small business.
“It’s a different kind of commitment than if we just showed up to do a job,” he explains.
‘Fifteen different jobs’
With an annual throughput of roughly 25,000 tonnes of bitumen, Holmsund may not be the largest depot in Nynas’s extensive bitumen supply network. But that doesn’t diminish its importance for projects across northern Sweden and Norway.
“We have to be flexible and willing to roll up our sleeves and get things done,” says Andersson.
That means he and his colleague are responsible for everything from training drivers and planning deliveries to performing plant maintenance and operating the PMB production and testing lab.
“Some days it feels like we’re doing ten to 15 different jobs,” he says.
Andersson’s description of a day in the life running the Holmsund bitumen depot sounds familiar to Per Oskar Holm-Hansen, who manages the Nynas depot in Drammen, about 50 km outside of Oslo.
As Depot Manager in Drammen, his responsibilities - and goals - largely mirror those of Andersson from the Holmsund depot 1,000 km away.
“Our main prerogative is to supply customers with the products they need and make the whole process as painless as possible,” he says.
The strength of cooperation
As the Drammen depot is much larger than Holmsund, with an annual throughput of around 100,000 tonnes, Holm-Hansen has the added benefit of being part of a larger team that includes two depot technicians, a regional operations manager, and a sales team that covers all of Norway.
“Sitting near one another means information passes quickly between operations and sales,” he explains.
“We can provide the sales team with insights about customers’ on-the-ground needs and how supplies look. And they give us advance notice of upcoming projects and additional customer feedback. It’s a real strength to have such close cooperation.”
Holm-Hansen makes time to visit asphalt factories and build relationships with the people who come in direct contact with Nynas products.
“We really want to help them in any way we can - from mobile tanks for additional storage capacity, to hoses and pumps they may need to offload the product on-site,” he explains.
“We’re prepared to offer whatever is needed so our customers can run their operations as smoothly as possible.”
Location, location, location
Like his counterpart in Norway, Andersson also spends a lot of time speaking with managers at asphalt plants in the region. Thanks to weekly phone calls and annual visits, he’s able to keep his finger on the pulse of ongoing projects and more efficiently plan for supply and deliveries to meet customers’ ever-changing needs.
“It’s important to speak with the plant managers, the machine operators, and others to get a complete picture of their needs. Putting a face to the name makes the dialogue easier the rest of the year,” he explains.
Andersson believes the depot’s relative geographic proximity is vital for ensuring steady bitumen supply to asphalt plants across the vast expanses of northern Sweden.
“Without the depot up here in Umeå, the lead times would simply be too long for most of the plants,” he explains.
“We make it easier for them to get their bitumen from us, and we are better able to get them what they need. There’s pretty much no one else that can compete with our coverage in this part of the Nordics.”
‘Nynas always delivers’
Back at the Drammen depot, Holm-Hansen explains that increasing demand for Nynas specialty products has meant devoting more time to planning supplies.
“We have a wider range of products we need to be ready to deliver which is more complex to forecast compared to standard grade bitumen,” he says.
He refers to the importance of “triangular cooperation” between the depot, the delivery drivers, and customers as a key to ensuring that customers get what they need when they need it.
“Nynas always delivers,” he says.
“And good cooperation and an ongoing dialogue are key to making that happen.”
