Daily Archives29/04/2026 - Bitafal

It is with great joy that we present our 2025 Sustainability Report. A document that transversally analyzes our organization in the social, environmental and economic dimensions, which reaffirms us on the path of sustainability that we choose as an organization.

This report allows us to have a deep and systemic look at how we have been working on sustainability. As it is the second edition, it also marks continuity with the work carried out last year, with which we begin to measure our own evolution.

Before a large gathering of collaborators and special guests, our head of quality, SST and sustainability Ana Laura Hernández and our general director Santiago Kröger presented the evolution of the main indicators analyzed in the document: carbon footprint, water footprint, the transformation of the energy matrix of the plants and the evolution of the Occupational Safety programs.

In all the areas analyzed, progress was noted, which is only possible thanks to the participation and commitment of the entire BITAFAL team, which has taken on board the challenges that we have been setting for ourselves.

Learn about some of the achievements of the year 2025 below:

Some of the most important achievements of 2025 reflected in this Report are summarized below:

• Carbon Footprint Reduction (Scopes 1 and 2): We achieved a 3.2% reduction in the Carbon Footprint corresponding to Scopes 1 and 2, making progress in reducing direct emissions and those associated with energy consumption.
• Reduction of the Water Footprint: We greatly exceeded the objective established for 2025 of a 5% reduction in the organizational Water Footprint per ton, reaching 14%.
• Sustainability Control Board (TACO–BI): We incorporated the BI tool into our dashboard, which allows us to monitor waste, energy consumption, environmental footprints, social impact and contribution to the SDGs on a monthly basis, facilitating data-based management.
• Advances in energy efficiency and resource use: We followed up on the fuel oil savings plan, where we reduced spending per ton by 13% and optimized the consumption of critical resources, generating improvements in operational efficiency and reduction of environmental impacts.
• Responsible waste management: We implemented specific training and internal audits that allowed us to strengthen circular economy practices.
• Sustainable road solutions on site: We accompanied the application of more than 3,000 tons of warm mixtures on sections of Route 9 and Route 45, using sustainable asphalt from the new MAX product line.
• Transport fleet with lower environmental impact: We made progress in renewing the fleet, incorporating units with lower environmental impact, we incorporated use controls in all units and incorporated a new additive to improve combustion efficiency that allowed us to reduce fleet emissions by 8%.
• Zero Accident Program: We implemented the Zero Accident Program, reinforcing a preventive culture and a systematic approach to safety and health at work, reaching a total of 244 notices in 2025, of which 47% have been managed and closed at the end of the year.
• Social Impact Program: We structure a specific program to strengthen the bond with the community and organize the company's social impact actions.
• Strengthened internal communication: We incorporated the HUMAND platform as a central internal communication channel, improving the organization of information, accessibility to content and exchange between teams.

The exercise of producing the Sustainability Report also allows us to observe the work we do in consolidating our values, our cardinals and the role we play within the industry. In this sense, we reaffirm our support for the professionalization of road construction, the socialization of knowledge and, with it, the growth of the entire sector.

In addition to the formal presentations, the event had a very entertaining dynamic with recreational activities, to graph and highlight each of the elements analyzed. Thus, several members of the three company headquarters answered questions, checked the weight of some variables and even carried out a bagging race to demonstrate their knowledge of reducing the water footprint.

We appreciate the support and professional dedication of the different teams involved in the production of the report: Urban Elements in the technical consultancy, Ginkgo in the design and especially the leaders of the different sectors of BITAFAL, without whose participation the production of the 2025 Sustainability Report would not have been possible.

Link to the report.

We visited the recently executed sections of Capeseal on Route 12 between Route 60 and Route 9 by both Grinor and Impacto Construcciones. Despite a mountain route with curves and steep slopes, the Capeseal in both sections has been performing well.

As we repeatedly refer to in our book “High Performance Surface Treatments”, the key to a good surface treatment is in the quality of the base, which is very good due to the quality of the local materials along with the use of stabilized cement. The waterproofing and macrotexture that Capeseal provides by combining the benefits of simple treatment with cold microagglomerate are seen in the tread achieved and which we share in the photos below.

For the execution of the curing irrigations, Riego 65 emulsion was used, for the surface treatments Riego 65 P25 emulsion and cold microagglomerate with Micro 62 P40 emulsion. We thank the companies for their trust in supplying the emulsions for the execution of both works, which were carried out with high quality standards.

Weeks ago, we held a focus group at our house on the Appsphalt application, a specific technological development for the Uruguayan road industry that will allow specialized engineers and technicians to improve the dynamics of the Marshall Design, as well as that of asphalt and cold microagglomerate treatment projects.

This App was created as an academic work by Egon Hauser, Santiago Juani and Ignacio Franco, a team of young participants from the BITAFAL Sustainable Asphalt Chair – UM (CAS BITAFAL-UM), with the supervision of the director of the chair David Fontans and our general director Santiago Kröger.

The commitment to the generation of quality digital tools is one of the objectives of CAS BITAFAL – UM, meeting the demand of an industry that is going through a transformation process, aiming at the use of more efficient, safer and environmentally friendly products.

We invite you to learn more about the new APP.

ADVANCING IN R&D

Currently in Uruguay, both the public and private sectors use Excel spreadsheets for the design and control of materials, but their lack of uniformity between institutions, changes in specifications, limited automation and insufficient integration between reports imply constant maintenance and the possibility of errors.

Under this context, the development of an application designed to integrate the different tests of the same asphalt mixture sample arises, as well as for the design of mixtures and surface treatments. The objective is to implement a more precise, transparent and efficient system in compliance with technical specifications. This program assists the user in the design and calculation, also consolidating a traceable and reliable database that can be shared online with other actors in real time. In addition, each module contains suggestions for formula optimization, you can prepare reports that can be useful to present to the control body, among other functions.

Conceived to be an easy-to-use technical support tool, Appsphalt was designed taking into account the requirements posed by the new bidding documents of the National Roads Directorate. Once registered as users, technicians can develop their own project, modifying parameters and values, in search of the most efficient solutions for each work.

At the event held in the CITEVI training room, we were accompanied by representatives of the country's main construction companies who, together with BITAFAL laboratory technicians, were able to learn first-hand about the benefits that the application offers both for the design and planning of road work, as well as for its maintenance.

Thank you to everyone who participated, for reaffirming us on the path of academic work and innovation!

Con motivo de la conmemoración de un nuevo 8M Día de la Mujer, en BITAFAL realizamos un encuentro, transformando nuestro Patio Español en un espacio de reflexión y compromiso. The motto was to highlight the women who inspire us in all areas of our lives.

Fue muy gratificante encontrarnos con una participación casi total de las mujeres que se desempeñan en BITAFAL, en todas las secciones y con todos los niveles de responsabilidad junto a queridas clientas que hace tiempo forman parte de nuestros equipos de trabajo. And it is also notable that several men joined the activity, also paying tribute to significant women in their stories.

The activity had an artistic proposal of Art Journaling by the artist and calligrapher Bettina Novarese, who gave us the elements to shape our ideas, with only one condition: not to put limits on our imagination.

The result was extremely exciting, with personal, professional and family evocations, full of content, which demonstrated the artistic streak of many members of our team.

BUILDING EQUALITY IN DIVERSITY

At BITAFAL we incorporate the gender perspective in all our processes, providing the same opportunities to women and men, taking into account their particularities and incorporating those differential attributes that they provide to build the team spirit of all of us who make up our organization.

That is why we joined the activities of the 8M Women's Day, highlighting the valuable contribution that so many women make daily to our way of doing business. Thank you all for making us better!!