Turkish steel producer MMK Metalurji faced a significant slump in steel output in the first half of 2023 due to the closure of one of its plants following an earthquake in Southern Turkey and weak demand.
Part of Russia’s MMK Group, MMK Metalurji resumed the operation of its hot rolling production complex in April after the closure in February due to the earthquake. However, the HRC production was again suspended in May due to lower-than-expected demand for HRC in reconstruction projects, overall weak demand, and cheaper import offers. The company eventually resumed hot rolling operations the following month.
During H1 2023, MMK Metalurji’s crude steel output witnessed a sharp decline of 79.1pct, reaching 135,000 tons, with a majority (134,000 tons) being produced in Q2.
The MMK Metalurji plant consists of a steelmaking shop with a casting and rolling module, a cold rolling mill, and a steel service center with continuous hot dip galvanizing and polymer coating plants in Iskenderun, along with a steel service center with similar facilities in Istanbul. The plant’s design capacity is 2.3 mln tons.
