Erdemir's No. 1 blast furnace Ayşe made its 50,000th casting on 4 August 2023.
No. 1 blast furnace Ayşe of Erdemir, Türkiye's largest flat steel producer, completed its 50,000th casting on August 4, 2023. A total of 26.5 million tons of liquid crude iron has been produced in Türkiye's first domestic blast furnace since May 15, 2008.
Türkiye's first domestic blast furnace Ayşe, built by Erdemir, one of OYAK Mining Metallurgy companies, has been continuing to produce for the Turkish economy since the day it was commissioned. A total of 26.5 million tons of liquid crude iron has been produced to date in the furnace, where the 50,000th casting was made on August 4, 2023.
Built with the labor of Erdemir's engineers and workers
In 2006, Erdemir decided to renew its No. 1 blast furnace, which has continued its production since the day it was commissioned, except for scheduled maintenance, but which had reached the end of its economic life. Erdemir commissioned the new furnace, which it built while the furnace was still operating, on May 15, 2008, again under the name “Ayşe”. Ayşe, Türkiye's first domestic blast furnace, was rebuilt with the labor of Erdemir's engineers and workers at every stage from project design to commissioning.
The blast furnace no. 1 Ayşe, which is the most important indicator of the trust placed in Erdemir's engineering know-how, project management experience and competent human resources, has been in continuous production since 2008. The fact that the plant reached its 50,000th casting without the need for the so-called “Reline”, where blast furnaces are stopped for certain periods of time for refractory replacement, maintenance of mechanical equipment and modernization of automation control systems when necessary, demonstrates the design success and efficiency of the first domestic furnace.
