Turkish integrated long steel producer Kardemir Karabuk Demir Celik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (Kardemir) has announced that in 2017 its crude steel production increased by 11 percent to 2.40 million mt, compared to 2016. In the same year, its finished steel production totaled 2.279 million mt, up 11.5 percent year on year.
In 2017, the company’s total production volume at its rail-beam rolling mill increased by 11.8 percent year on year to 401,000 mt, while its steel bar-wire rod mill’s production volume amounted to 403,000 mt compared to 55,000 mt recorded in 2016. In addition, Kardemir’s total production at its continuous casting mill rose by 8.4 percent year on year to 674,000 mt in 2017.
In the given year, Kardemir’s finished steel sales went up by approximately 13 percent to 2.32 million mt compared to the previous year.
According to Kardemir’s statement, it will continue its investments to increase its steel production capacity to 3.5 million mt per year in the current year. In this context, Kardemir has decided to invest in a new continuous casting machine with an annual capacity of 1.25 million mt and it has purchased all the necessary equipment to increase the capacities of its converters Nos. 1 and 2 to 120 mt from 90 mt.
Meanwhile, Kardemir also plans to put its new railway wheel plant, which is now in its installation phase, into operation in the current year. With this investment, the company will be the sole railway wheel manufacturer in Turkey.