ISTANBUL, Oct 26 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey is preparing to strengthen its national defence industry, through a boron carbide plant, to be built by a Chinese company, and operational in 2021, in the northwestern province of Balikesir, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Fatih Donmez, said.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the plant, undertaken by China Machinery Engineering Corporation, was held in the district of Bandirma.
Speaking at the ceremony, Donmez said, the plant would make Turkey’s defence sector more “powerful, dynamic and active,” by increasing the ratio of the production of domestic goods.
“We will be able to use boron carbide in the production of military equipment, such as steel shells, protective vests, helicopters and tanks, which require high hardness and strength,” said the minister.
He said, Turkey has a total of 3.3 billion tonnes of boron, accounting for 73 percent of the world reserves and 59 percent of the world market.
“However, it doesn’t matter how much resources and reserves you have,” he added. “The important thing is whether we can process them and create a surplus-value.”
The facility is scheduled to be completed in 24 months at a total cost of 70 million U.S. dollars.
China Machinery Engineering Corporation and the TRBOR Boron Technologies Inc of Turkey, signed a deal on the plant in June, which shall have an annual production capacity of 1,500 tonnes of boron carbide, one of the hardest synthetic substances known.
