Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced plans to open three additional boron processing plants in central Eskisehir province.
"This year, we will add three new boron processing plants to Eskisehir which account for an investment value of 501 million liras ($25.8 million)," Erdogan said at a mass opening ceremony in Eskisehir on Tuesday.
Boron is used in a number of different applications, such as in the production of fiberglass, ceramics, and semiconductors. It is also an important nutrient for plants, and is used as a supplement in fertilizers.
Türkiye is the world's largest boron producer, accounting for approximately 73% of global boron reserves.
Erdogan said the "pilot facility" opened in Eskisehir will begin processing 1,200 tons of ore, which contains boron, per year in the first stage establishing another "facility that will increase the annual production to 570,000 tons immediately."
Erdogan also discussed the process of making Türkiye's first electric train, saying that the "design, manufacture and assembly of the locomotive and subsystems of the first domestic electric locomotive, E5000, will be completed and then, testing and certification will be launched."
"Here, we will manufacture 500 locomotives that Türkiye will need in the next 10 years," he added.
Source: TRTworld.com