ICDAS to enter flat products market

There have been rumors in the market that Turkish mill ICDAS is planning to invest in the flat rolled products market, but that the mill has not reached a final decision on the issue yet. With its major investments in the steel industry over the last ten years, ICDAS now has the highest capacity of the EAF mills in Turkey, especially after the mills it built in Karabiga. Furthermore, ICDAS has already commenced the construction of a slab-making mill in the same region, SteelOrbis has been informed. Company officials have confirmed that construction activities are underway in the region for the projected melt-shop and that an order for the supply of a crane has been given to Finnish firm Konecranes. While the negotiations with the melt-shop constructors are still going on, ICDAS has also announced that it is planning to build a billet casting line to be used only in case of necessity. ICDAS officials went on to add that their current plan also covers the building of a single-strand slab casting line with an annual capacity of 1.4 million tons. The slabs produced at the line will be of commercial quality. There is also a reversing plate mill project which the company is planning to put into operation following the slab casting line. The reversing mill is to be designed with an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tons, with surplus slab to be sold. In the framework of all these as-yet-unfinalized projects, ICDAS is also reported to be considering the possibility of building the projected slab casting line with a two-strand line. The company may also consider building a hot-strip mill, if it chooses to build a two-strand slab casting line instead of a single-strand one.