Türkiye exported 2.65 million tons of boron products, breaking its previous record, Fatih Donmez, Energy and Natural Resources Minister said Wednesday.
'By transforming boron ores into products with a high added value, Eti Maden achieved significant success in boron production and sales last year and set a record with sales of 2.63 million tons of refined boron,' Fatih Donmez said at Boron Workshop held at the headquarters of Eti Maden, Turkish state-owned mining and chemicals company.
Recalling that last year’s boron sales brought in $1.03 billion, Donmez said the country made $1.30 billion in 2022 with the sales of 2.65 million tons of boron products.
Donmez pointed out that the tide in the energy sector has changed and being a technologically advanced country has gained more importance than being an energy-producing country.
Emphasizing that Türkiye is the world's top producer with a share of 62% of the sales in the boron market globally, the minister said 2023 would be the year when Türkiye will thrive in both the energy and mining sectors.
He said that a boron carbide factory with 1,000 tons of capacity will come online in the first month of 2023.
The minister pointed to the ferro boron factory under construction in northwestern Balıkesir province since September and said the 800-ton capacity facility would be commissioned towards the end of 2023.
- Türkiye produces lithium from liquid wastes, a first in the world
Donmez stressed that Türkiye, for the first time in the world, produced lithium from liquid wastes arising from the production process of boron.
'We started our first production with 10 tons per year at our pilot plant… Hopefully, we will hold the tender for our lithium carbonate facility in the town of Kirka, which will annually produce 600 tons of lithium carbonate in January 2023,' Donmez said.
He added that a second lithium carbonate factory with a yearly production capacity of 100 tons is set to be built in northwestern Bandirma province, bringing the nation's lithium carbonate production to 700 tons annually in total, meeting half of Türkiye's annual demand.
By Sibel Morrow
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr