Egypt’s Ministry of Industry has received 10 applications from local steel companies for eight billet production licences with a combined capacity of 2.8 mln tons per year, according to local media reports. The applications comprise four bids for licences with a capacity of 500,000 tons per year each, totaling 2 mln tons, and six applications for licences of 200,000 tons per year each, totaling 1.2 mln tons.
Misr National Steel and Ashry Group are among the companies competing for the four 500,000-ton-per-year licences, local media reports said. The six applicants competing for the 200,000-ton-per-year licences include Ashry Group, Misr National Steel, El-Marakby Steel, Hi Steel and G Steel, along with a sixth company whose name was not disclosed.
The applications follow the Ministry of Industry’s tender for eight new billet production licences launched in August. The licences are intended to increase domestic billet production, improve local availability of semi-finished steel for rolling mills and reduce reliance on imports.