Azerbaijan starts exporting steel

 

The Azerbaijan Steel Production Complex CJSC (APIK/ASPC) has announced that the country is starting to export steel instead of importing it. This process will include improving the efficiency, quality and volumes of ore production at the Dashkesan Mining Complex and the establishment of a steel production complex in Ganja.

DMC’s ore resources are at the level of 270 million tons with 40% iron content. In other words, iron resources at the field amount to 100 million tons, which is enough for 80-100 years of development. DMC is able to produce 65% iron concentrate with capacity to be increased by the end of this year from 350,000 up to 750,000 tons. In 2018, iron ore production will be increased to 1.7 million tons a year, abc.az reports.

The steel production complex in Ganja will be established on an area of 140 hectares and aims to replace the import of steel and steelware, estimated today at the level of $1.2-$1.3 billion a year. Its annual capacity will be about 1.5 million tons of metal.

ASPC promises that its production costs will be lower than that of Turkish, Georgian, Russian and Ukrainian producers. It plans to use the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway for exports.