Nordkalk, Northern Europe’s leading provider of limestone-based products, is expanding its operations to Turkey through a local joint venture. The joint venture, called Nordeka Maden A.Ş., is controlled by Nordkalk and has on 22 August 2017 been granted a mining license to own and operate the Eskibalikli limestone quarry in northwestern Turkey.
The mining license was previously held by Biga Maden, a Turkish company owned by the Dereli family. Nordkalk will operate the new joint venture together with Yalçın Dereli.
“This is an interesting opportunity to expand our home market as well as secure limestone reserves for the future. Turkey is a growing market with strong population growth. The Eskibalikli deposit is located in Canakkele-Biga region, about 300 kilometers southwest of Istanbul with major industrial and infrastructure projects on-going which increases the demand for limestone-based products. In addition to infrastructure projects, several power plants are also being built in the region. Supported by a logistical advantage and our local partner’s extensive experience of the Turkish limestone-based market, we believe that Nordeka Maden will be in a unique position to benefit from the local growth opportunities in northwestern Turkey”, says Hannu Hautala, CEO of Nordkalk.
In the next months, the joint venture will start its operations, and build a new stone crushing line. At full capacity the joint venture is expected to have an annual production of 2.5 million tonnes of limestone, and employ more than 50 persons. During the investment phase quarrying is done by a contractor.
The reserves of the high-quality limestone in Eskibalikli are expected to last for at least 30 years.
Nordkalk is the leading company providing limestone-based products and solutions in Northern Europe. The company employs 1000 people, and in 2016 it had a turnover of EUR 298 million. Nordkalk is a wholly owned subsidiary of Finnish Rettig Group.
