Colakoglu Metalurji starts output of special stainless sheet grades

Turkey’s major flats and longs steelmaker Colakoglu Metalurji has started production of special grades of stainless sheet, in line with the company’s target of focusing more on value-added steel production, S&P Global Platts learned from the company’s CEO, Ugur Dalbeler.

The company has produced the first 304 and 304L stainless grades in Turkey saying it has achieved the biggest casting tonnage globally for these grades as of October. Colakoglu, however didn’t provide further details.

Colakoglu, which placed an order with Primetals Technologies in October last year to upgrade an existing VD (vacuum degassing) plant in its Dilovasi meltshop to a VOD (vacuum oxygen decarburization) plant started production at the plant as of the second quarter, as S&P Global Platts has reported.

With a heat size of 295 metric tons, the VOD plant is the largest worldwide. Colakoglu can produce special steels like IF grades, ULC grades and stainless steels at the plant. This is helping Colakoglu broaden its product range and enter additional markets.

Colakoglu has bar output capacity of 1 million mt/year and HRC production capacity of 4.5 million mt/year.

— Cenk Can