Isdemir’s new blast furnace nears completion, to be Turkey’s largest

The new blast furnace at Turkey’s largest integrated steelmaker, Isdemir in southern Turkey, which will have the largest output capacity in the country (7,900 mt/day), has neared completion, with the successful assembly of the BF shell on March 23.

“We are pleased to have achieved an important milestone today in the construction of a new blast furnace for Isdemir by completion of the blast furnace shell assembly,” said Ekon Industry Construction, which is running the project.

This is set to be Turkey’s largest BF with a capacity of 2.8 million mt/year, it added.

The new Isdemir furnace has 3,587 cubic meters of inner volume and is expected to be blown in within this year.

The total liquid steel output capacity of Isdemir will reach 6.3 million mt/year upon the completion of the project.

“This will contribute to the Turkish economy by reducing foreign dependency in the steel product market,” parent company Oyak Maden Metalurji Group said.

The group is also renovating one of the BFs at its Eregli works (Erdemir), northern Turkey, which will also raise the capacity of Erdemir.

Erdemir produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled and galvanized coils, plate and tinplate, while Isdemir produces billet, wire rod and hot-rolled coils. The current combined crude steel production capacity is 9.1 million mt/year.

— Cenk Can