September 15, 2025 [Argus Media]- Construction of a 10,000t bitumen terminal at Mardsen Point, New Zealand, started, according to a press release by fuel import terminal operator Channel Infrastructure.

The facility in New Zealand’s Northland region is expected to come on line in the second half of 2026. The site will include vessel offloading infrastructure, bulk storage tanks, and a truck loading facility.

The NZ$17mn–21mn ($10.1mn–12.6mn) project is a joint development between New Zealand construction firm Higgins Contractors and Channel Infrastructure, the country’s largest fuel import terminal operator that stores and distributes nearly half of the nation’s fuel.

Site preparation works, including demolition of redundant infrastructure and upgrades to site access roads for heavy tankers, have already been completed, the firms said.

The terminal is set to improve supply chain efficiency and security for bitumen distribution across the upper North Island, including Auckland. It is expected to reduce reliance on existing bitumen import terminals at Napier and Tauranga ports, which are further away, market participants said.

“This terminal will enable us to supply enough bitumen to meet the infrastructure needs of Auckland and the upper North Island. It will also provide much-needed supply chain resilience for bitumen importation across the wider industry,” Higgins Contractors said.

Once completed, the terminal is expected to achieve significant cost and time savings for major construction projects and contribute to the New Zealand government’s national infrastructure programmes.

New Zealand’s bitumen demand has been week for the past 3-4 months because of the ongoing winter season, when the weather curbs road paving activities. But the post-winter construction season is set to start in October, which will support demand for the rest of the year, market participants said.