British Steel has been awarded a multi-million-pound contract to supply rail for a new high-speed electric railway connection between Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye, and Gaziantep in southern Turkey.
The upgraded railway will span 286 kilometres and is projected to reduce CO2 emissions by over 150,000 tonnes annually.
British Steel will supply tens of thousands of tonnes of rail for this project, with the first shipments expected in the second quarter of 2024.
The rail will be manufactured in Scunthorpe. It will be of grade R260 and each piece will be 36 metres long.
“We’re delighted British Steel has been awarded this contract, and to be involved in such an important project. Not only will electrification greatly enhance the transport infrastructure in southern Turkey, it will also deliver significant environmental benefits. We pride ourselves on providing solutions to the challenges our customers face and look forward to supplying this project with the world-leading rail synonymous with the British Steel name.”
The line will be upgraded to a high-speed railway with support from UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK government’s export credit agency. UKEF has underwritten 781 million EUR (680 million GBP) in financing through its Buyer Credit Facility.
With this support, Rönesans Holding will construct the railway on behalf of the Turkish Ministry of Transport.
“By upgrading the existing railway line to a high standard railway line, we will be actively reducing negative environmental impact while offering a lower-carbon travel alternative and significantly enhancing the region's industrial connectivity and trade. Rönesans Holding takes immense pride in contributing to Turkey’s national environmental goals and infrastructure advancement.”
This high-speed railway project aims to enhance Turkey’s transport network while also fostering stronger economic and environmental ties between Turkey and the UK.
The successful execution of this project could pave the way for further international collaborations and serve as a model for integrating high-quality products with robust financial solutions in global infrastructure development.
“This is the start of what we expect to be a new unique partnership between British Steel, UKEF, and international contractors. The ability to combine world-leading quality rail with a world-leading finance solution for supply into global markets and networks is an unparalleled supply chain solution. Looking forward, we are very excited about what this will achieve.”
