The companies said they will operate theimport centre from mid-2015 at Stolthaven Terminals’ Dagenham site, east ofLondon.

Trafigura is expecting to invest at least £15m($25.31m) over ten years.

The facility at the terminal, which was acquired byStolt-Nielsen in late 2012, will store up to 20,000 tonnes of the road-building material.

A statement said: “The move is a strongindication of the two firms’ long-term strategic plan to facilitate theimportation of bitumen into the UK, with demand for the product expected toincrease with the UK government’s future road building and maintenanceprogramme announced in June 2013 as part of the National Infrastructure Plan.”