Press Release

ESHAPRENE™ PMB Gives Olympic Best
for New Athens Ring-Road

LONDON (June 17, 2004) –Alfa Alfa Energy’s ESHAPRENE modified bitumen, containing Kraton® polymers, has turned in a winning performance for the new Attiki ODOS motorway in Athens.

Attiki ODOS is a 65km state-of-the-art toll ring-road joining the recently constructed Athens International airport in the south-east of the city with Elefsina in the north-west. The project was executed on the Build, Own, Operate, Transfer (BOOT) concept by Attiki Odos JV and partly financed by the Greek State and the EU. The toll road is playing a vital role in the construction of the Olympic projects and the logistics for the 2004 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games which will be hosted by the city in August and September respectively.

Contractor Attiki Odos JV chose to use ESHAPRENE for the 4cm thick wearing course to initiate the first 17km section of the toll road linking to the New International Airport, because of the specific performance it offers. ESHAPRENE incorporates KRATON D-1116ES polymer as the bitumen modifier.

Mr George Papageorgiou, vice president and executive director of Alfa Alfa Energy explains: “This was a critical project as it was the first time polymer modified bitumen had been used to such an extent in a prominent Greek road project and it marked a new acceptance of PMB by the authorities. Indeed, the whole system of private investment in road construction was at stake.

“We had to be sure that there would be no failure and therefore we chose the best modifier to help us to achieve a high-standard bitumen. Kraton D-1116 polymer satisfied our requirements for durability, stability and flexibility at low temperatures and rutting resistance at high temperatures under heavy traffic loads. It is also easy to process. ESHAPRENE provides the finished road surface with a high resistance to degradation, excellent elasticity and good drainage properties. In total, more than 15,000 tonnes of ESHAPRENE were used to construct the wearing course of the project.”

Mr G. Palmiris, deputy project manager of Attiki Odos JV, comments: “The ring-road was a major project commissioned by the Greek State, coinciding with the Olympics, and it will be a great legacy for the country for years to come.

“More than 220,000 vehicles use the road daily, of which 7-10% are heavy axle trucks. Because of the high volume and also the additional demands generated by the construction of the Olympic Games, we needed to ensure that the road surfacing could stand up in the long-term to the challenge of the heavy traffic and hot weather of Athens. We felt that ESHAPRENE could deliver the performance we needed and, three years on since the opening of the link from the toll-road to the new airport, the pavement is in perfect condition.”

About Kraton

Kraton Polymers LLC is a premier, global specialty chemicals company and is the world’s largest producer of styrenic block copolymers (“SBCs”), a family of products whose chemistry was pioneered by Kraton over forty years ago.  SBCs are highly-engineered synthetic elastomers, which enhance the performance of products by delivering a variety of attributes, including greater flexibility, resilience, strength, durability and processability.  Kraton polymers are used in a wide range of applications including road and roofing materials, numerous consumer products (e.g., diapers, tool handles and toothbrushes), tapes, labels, medical applications, packaging, automotive and footwear products.  Kraton has the leading position in nearly all of its core markets and is the only producer of SBCs with global manufacturing capability.  Its production facilities are located in the United States, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Brazil, and Japan.

Polymer Holdings LLC is the parent company of Kraton Polymers LLC and has no material assets other than its investment in Kraton Polymers LLC. 

Kraton, the Kraton logo and design are trademarks of Kraton Polymers LLC.

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