The first production ceremony was held at the 2nd Blast Furnace 'Zübeyde', which was rebuilt by Erdemir sharing the enthusiasm of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye with its new investment. The environmentally friendly and technologically advanced new Blast Furnace, which Erdemir built in place of the old furnace with the labor of Turkish engineers, was commissioned on October 29, Republic Day.
Stating that they are proud of this investment, which they presented as a gift for the 100th anniversary of the Republic, OYAK General Manager Süleyman Savaş Erdemir said, “Erdemir, one of the most valuable industrial assets in our country, will continue to contribute to Türkiye's future in the next 100 years of the Republic.”
Erdemir, one of OYAK's Mining Metallurgy Companies, renewed its 2nd Blast Furnace, 'Zübeyde,' named after Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's mother, and commissioned it with a ceremony on the 100th anniversary of the Republic. The ceremony, hosted by Erdemir Board Member and Managing Director Gürtan Damar and Erdemir General Manager Niyazi Aşkın Peker, where the rebuilt furnace realized its first production, was attended by Zonguldak Governor Osman Hacıbektaşoğlu, Zonguldak Deputies Saffet Bozkurt and Eylem Ertuğ Ertuğrul, Karadeniz Ereğli District Governor Mehmet Yapıcı, Black Sea Region Commander Rear Admiral Niyazi Uğur, Kdz. Ereğli Mayor Halil Posbıyık, Ereğli protocol, as well as many members of the press.
Publishing a message on the occasion of the commissioning of the Blast Furnace 'Zübeyde,' OYAK General Manager Süleyman Savaş Erdem stated that Erdemir, one of the most valuable industrial assets in the country, continued its rapid and robust growth momentum since becoming part of OYAK in 2006. Erdem said, “Erdemir is a source of pride for our country. In this period, as we focus on high value-added production and bolster our domestic production capability, we aim to strengthen our country's position as a major player in the region. Today, we are inaugurating another significant investment, not only for Erdemir but also for the Turkish steel industry. On this historic day as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of our Republic, we present our new 2nd Blast Furnace 'Zübeyde,' named after Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's mother and crafted through the labor of Turkish engineers, to the Turkish industry. The new investment of Erdemir, which has played a pivotal role in the development of our country's industry since its inception, and has consistently focused on value-added production, will contribute to the goal of reducing foreign dependency in the iron and steel sector, which is of critical importance to the country's industry. Erdemir, ranking in the top 5 among the 500 largest industrial enterprises in our country, continues to produce for the future of Karadeniz Ereğli and Türkiye, supplying raw materials to countless sectors and instilling confidence for the future with its sustainable growth initiatives. Erdemir will illuminate the future of Türkiye in the second 100 years of our Republic.”
The labor of Turkish engineers
Gürtan Damar, Member of the Board of Directors and Managing Director of Erdemir, who hosted the ceremony, mentioned that Erdemir, one of the symbols of the first 100 years of the Republic, made a significant mark on history with the opening ceremony held on Republic Day. Damar said, “As the first and largest integrated flat steel producer in our country, Erdemir has always been a pioneer in the Turkish steel industry, making significant investments in modern technology, human resources, and know-how. In the New Blast Furnace and our ongoing major investments in the field, we carry out every stage from project design to commissioning in collaboration with Erdemir Engineering, an OYAK Mining Metallurgy company. Just as in steel production, we possess extensive engineering expertise in plant investments. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed, from our engineers to each of our employees in the field, and our business partners who implemented the project. We are experiencing an unforgettable day on the 100th anniversary of our Republic. May it bring prosperity to Karadeniz Ereğli and our country.”
Erdemir General Manager Niyazi Aşkın Peker also provided information about the features of the new furnace. Peker said, “We are proud to introduce Erdemir's 2nd Blast Furnace 'Zübeyde' to our industry on the 100th anniversary of our Republic. The new Blast Furnace project, in which Turkish engineers played essential roles, especially in designing the raw material feeding and charging system, will strengthen Erdemir's capabilities. The capacity of the 2nd Blast Furnace, equipped with cutting-edge technology across all its systems and support equipment, will effectively monitor all parameters, increasing from 1 million 625 thousand tons to 1 million 775 thousand tons. Erdemir's commitment to occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental performance, which are among our top priorities, continues to improve thanks to the new state-of-the-art control systems in use.”
50 years of service to Türkiye
Built to replace the previous blast furnace, which produced 60 million tons of liquid crude iron during its 45-year operation, the new blast furnace is expected to serve for over 50 years.
Both environmentally friendly and technological
Unlike the previous furnace, the new Blast Furnace, equipped with a slag granulating system (dewatered), will reduce debris during transportation and lower the water consumption of the system. 'Zübeyde', which features a cyclone-type dust catcher and dust discharge system, will significantly minimize dust emissions by allowing fine dust in the furnace to be directed to a non-pressurized environment. With a cooling system designed as a 'Closed Cycle', the new Blast Furnace will prevent structural wear in the furnace by reducing the corrosion effect and contribute positively to environmental performance. The new furnace will save fuel by increasing production efficiency, and will also reduce the reliance on coking coal imported from abroad and used during production.