OYAK, CSRC to build carbon black plant in Turkey

Ankara – Turkey’s state-owned pension fund OYAK has partnered with Taiwan-based International CSRC Investment Holding to set up a carbon black production plant.

To be built in Iskenderun on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, the facility will have a nameplate production capacity of 220 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa), OYAK has announced.

The project will serve the local Turkish market, described as the largest carbon black market in the Middle East & Africa region, with an estimated value of €232 million.

OYAK’s statement, issued mid-December, did not disclose further details about the structure of the partnership or the construction timeline.

Formerly China Synthetic Rubber Corp., International CSRC Investment Holdings is the parent company of Continental Carbon, which operates eight production facilities in Asia and America.

According to OYAK general manager Süleyman Sava? Erdem, Turkey currently imports its entire carbon black demand. 

In addition to self-sufficiency in the supply of the raw material, the new facility will also transfer technology and create job opportunities in the country, he added.

The factory, according to Erdem, will be equipped with “advanced environmental protection systems” for energy recovery and emissions.

Further details on this project in the Jan/Feb issue of European Rubber Journal magazine.