Kurum International Elbasan steel plant

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Kurum International Elbasan steel plant (Kurum Kombinati metalurgjik) is a steel plant in Bradashesh, Elbasan, Albania that operates electric arc furnace (EAF) technology.

Location

The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Bradashesh, Elbasan, Albania:

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• Location: Ish Kombinati metalurgjik, Elbasan, Albania
• Coordinates (WGS 84): 41.094611, 20.026117 (exact)

Background

The Kurum International Elbasan steel plant began operating in 1998 and is the only operating iron complex in Albania; according to Kurum, the plant covers about 85% of the domestic market for iron. The site also produces industrial gases and lime. About 60% of the steel plant's products are transported to the Balkans and beyond (Kosovo, Montenegro, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Italy), while the remaining 40% is sold in the domestic market.

In May 2015, Kurum was forced to stop operations because of failed compliance with environmental standards. Kurum was charged by the Albanian government for illegally dumping toxic waste by the Shkumbin river, which created "a mountain of slag and garbage" 200 metres wide and about 20 metres high.

Later in 2015, Kurum also filed for bankruptcy with debts of close to 300 million USD after a global crisis in the steel sector. It also had to cut staff by 700. It is unclear whether they had to stop operations, but the Kurum website says the plant is still operating and further investments into the site have been made since 2015.

Renovations and Upgrades

In 2010, the plant underwent renovations and added another EAF unit. In 2011, a scrap processing plant was installed at the plant to clean non-metallic waste. Between 2012 and 2013, Kurum bought four previously government-owned hydropower plants (Ulëz & Shkopet and Bistrica 1 & 2) for around 120 million Euros to power the plant.

In 2018, Kurum renewed the dust capture system to comply with European labor and environmental protection standards. Kurum also considered buying another hydropower plant the (Ulëz Hydraulic Power Plant) to support operations. Throughout 2019, Kurum made a number of other investments, renovating dust capture systems and iron production processes.

Plant Details

Table 1: General Plant Details

Start date	Workforce size	Power source
1998	1000	Hydraulic, integrated plants; Four hydropower plants used as captive power plants

Table 2: Ownership and Parent Company Information

Parent company	Parent company PermID	Parent company GEM ID	Owner	Owner company PermID	Owner company GEM ID
Kurum International ShA	5037939021	E100000130992	Kurum International ShA	5037939021	E100000130992

Table 3: Process and Products

Steel product category	Steel products	ISO 14001	Main production equipment
semi-finished, finished rolled	billet, wire rod, rebar	yes	EAF

Table 4: Plant-level Crude Steel Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

¹Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.

Capacity operating status1	Electric arc furnace steelmaking capacity	Nominal crude steel capacity (total)
mothballed	700	700

Table 5: Actual Plant-level Crude Steel Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year	EAF production	Other/unknown steel production
2019	unknown	unknown
2020	unknown	unknown
2021	unknown	unknown
2022	unknown	unknown

Table 6: Actual Plant-level Crude Iron Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year	BF production	Other/unknown iron production
2019	unknown	unknown
2020	unknown	unknown
2021	unknown	unknown
2022	unknown	unknown

Unit Details

Table 7: Electric Arc Furnace Details

Unit name	Status	Start date	Current capacity (ttpa)
unknown EAF (1)	mothballed	2010	700

Table 8: Electric Arc Furnace Feedstock Details

Unit name	Scrap-based	% scrap	% DRI	% HBI	% sponge iron (unknown if DRI or HBI)	% basic/merchant pig iron	% granulated pig iron	% pig iron (unknown if basic/merchant or granulated	% other iron
unknown EAF (1)	yes	100	unknown	unknown	unknown	unknown	unknown	unknown	unknown

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel power plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

Resources

• Company website