President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated Türkiye’s strategic facility for boron processing, the first boron carbide plant in the country on Sunday.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Erdoğan said the Bandırma Boron Carbide Production Facility, which represents an investment of $80 million (TL 1.52 billion) is set to become the world's first facility of its kind.

Boron carbide has various applications, such as in armor wear-resistant mechanical parts, which are essential to the defense industry. These products can be found in a wide range of items, from personnel vests to sheltered plates, the president said.

"The Bandırma facility is expected to produce around 1,000 tons, providing a twofold increase in value. Its opening is significant not only for increasing the added value of boron mining but also for the strategic contribution it will make to Türkiye," he added, highlighting that the high technology facility "will enable Türkiye to turn its rare earth element, discovered in Eskişehir, into profit.

"The aim is to implement a comprehensive system that starts from the raw material and extends to the final product, reflecting a determination to maximize the potential benefits of this investment," Erdoğan added.

At full capacity, the facility in western Balıkesir’s Bandırma will employ 279 people and produce 1,000 tons of boron carbide annually.

According to the earlier statements made by the ministry of energy and natural resources, in Türkiye, which has 73% of the world's boron reserves, Eti Maden – a state-owned mining and chemical products institution that primarily extracts boron minerals and derivatives in the country – broke a record with a sales revenue of $1.3 billion last year.

Speaking previously on Türkiye’s boron capacity and the new facility, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez said the country was selling boric acid and buying boron carbide before, especially those armor-making companies.

"We have an annual import of 350 tons," he said, adding that the capacity of the new facility will open be 1,000 tons.

"In other words, we will no longer be an importer and become an exporter," Dönmez said.

Türkiye is also home to the world's highest quality boron mine, which has over 200 applications, Dönmez said, noting that the global demand for boron is massive, with 4 million tons of it being used worldwide, and the processed refined product's monetary value is estimated to be around $2 billion.

"The glass industry accounts for half of the boron usage, while the agricultural sector's share is rapidly increasing. Last year, the agricultural sector's share rose to 17%, a significant improvement compared to the past two years, indicating the sector's growing importance in the global boron market," he said.

Dönmez went on to say that Türkiye currently exports one-third of its boron sales to China, making it the country's largest boron market.

Besides the Balıkesir facility, Dönmez noted the country is set to open a new boron carbide plant with an annual capacity of 5,000 tons in Kütahya’s Emet.

"The construction work has begun, and the plant is expected to be operational within three years," he said.

"Additionally, Türkiye's first ferrobore plant was established on the same campus last year, with an annual production capacity of 800 tons. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of this year. In another development, a pilot plant for rare earth elements will soon be launched in Eskişehir’s Beylikova. The region boasts the world's second-largest rare earth field, and the pilot plant is expected to be operational in April," Dönmez maintained.

"These developments are a testament to the importance of investing in materials science, as technological advancements are driven by the materials used. As Türkiye continues to develop new materials, it will significantly enhance its technology capabilities," he added.

According to Serkan Keleşer, the general manager of Eti Maden, currently, the world produces 5.7 million tons of boron, with Eti Maden producing 2.7 million tons.

Additionally, Eti Maden produces and sells 450,000 tons of boric acid annually.

Keleşer explained that domestic and foreign companies have shown an interest in purchasing boron carbide, and Eti Maden aims to meet this demand.