Ashry Steel to establish a USD 200 mn billet plant in Sixth of October

Ashry Steel Group plans to build a USD 200 mn billet plant in its Sixth of October complex, targeting an annual production capacity of 1 mn tons, Chairman Ayman ElAshry told EnterpriseAM. Production is expected to begin within 24 months of construction, pending the Industrial Development Authority’s (IDA) green light.

The group is building what will be Egypt’s second-largest industrial complex dedicated to colored sheet metal production, Al Borsa reports, citing what it says are sources familiar with the investment. The facility — located on a 165k sqm plot in Sadat City — will feature state-of-the-art production lines for hot rolling, cold drawing, galvanizing, and color coating. Investments in the production line are projected to reach hundreds of mns in foreign currency.

More in the pipeline: The company plans to establish Egypt’s first local factory for high-speed train wheels, also in Sadat City. The project is being implemented in partnership with the Transport Ministry and the Egyptian National Railways, with the aim of localizing industrial technology and reducing import dependence.

It’s all part of the plan: Ashry Steel Group is eyeing up to EGP 10 bn in new investments to ramp up production capacity to 4 mn tons over the next two years. Its pipeline also includes a seamless stainless steel pipe plant with EUR 600 mn in planned investment.

The IDA has yet to launch the new tender for billet manufacturing licenses but is expected to do so later this month, a government source told EnterpriseAM, adding that companies are outlining production plans based on earlier bids. Mohamed Hanafy, head of the Chamber of Metallurgical Industries, confirmed the licenses haven’t been announced yet but said companies that participated in the 2021 tender will be eligible to bid again once the new tender opens.

REMEMBER- The government is ramping up efforts to localize steel manufacturing, issuing new billet production licenses, reallocating surplus supply, and coordinating closely with sector players to draft unified industrial policies for iron manufacturing.

IN OTHER MANUFACTURING NEWS-

KCG Textile expands local operations: KCG Textile Egypt — a local subsidiary of Turkish group Kucukalik — has broken ground on its spinning factory in Tenth of Ramadan, bringing its total investments in Egypt to USD 75 mn, according to a statement from the Investment Ministry. The plant includes five production lines covering polyester yarn production, textile production, dyeing, and embroidery.

A major export player: KCG currently generates around USD 65 mn in annual exports, with 100% of its output shipped to Europe, the US, and China. The company employs some 1.6k workers.