Kurum resumes steel exports

TIRANA, June 11 – The Kurum steel plant in the central Albanian city of Elbasan has resumed exports after work in the country’s biggest plant was suspended due to problems with power supply. The suspension of work in the Turkish-owned plant employing some 700 workers had a negative impact in Albania’s exports for the first quarter of 2012. Exports to Turkey, mainly composed by metals also suffered a sharp cut during the first four months of this year when they were almost halved to 2.7 billion lek.
New changes to the energy law stripping giant electricity consumers of electricity supply from distribution operator CEZ Shperndarje paralyzed work at Kurum plant in early 2012. The new energy law in force since Jan. 2012 foresees that electricity produced by the current hydropower plants, accounting for more than 100 percent of domestically produced electricity, will be used to supply only household consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises, excluding big consumers.
Unaffordable electricity prices offered by alternative operators and power utility KESH also affecting other state sectors such as railway and port transportation.
Kurum International is the only company in Albania that operates iron-steel facilities. Established to conduct Kurum Holding’s operations in Albania, Kurum International completed its first activity by launching the Elbasan Steel Production Facilities in 1999, emerging as one of the biggest employers. It has an annual production capacity of 550,000 tons for hot rolled structural iron and 400,000 tons for liquid steel at its smelter and rolling mill facilities.