25
CONSTRUCTION EUROPE
SEPTEMBER 2013
TURKEY
during which time a third airport is also
planned for Istanbul – a €22 billion, 25-year
build-operate concession. The tender for the
new airport, which will be constructed on
Istanbul’s European side between the Black
Sea regions of Yeniköy and Akpınar, was won
in May by Turkish consortium Limak-Cengiz-
Kolin-Mapa-Kalyon.
But perhaps most ambitious of all Turkey’s
current infrastructure plans is Prime Minister
Erdogan’s Canal Instabul project – a planned
€20 billion artificial waterway carving up the
European side of Istanbul linking the Black
Sea with the Sea of Marmara.
This would form an island between the
continents of Asia and Europe, which are
separated on the other side by the existing
Bosphorus. The route for this 45km mega
project has been finalised and work is due
to get underway in earnest this year, with a
completion target of 2023.
OPPORTUNITY
These examples and many others represent
a clear opportunity for both domestic
equipment manufacturers and international
companies. Indeed, many of the big names
from within Turkey and internationally were
present at this year’s Komatek construction
equipment trade fair in Ankara, which took
place from 29 May to 2 June, and attracted
418 exhibitors and around 35,000 visitors.
Domestic manufacturers at the show were
understandably bullish on future prospects.
Hidromek is perhaps the best-known Turkish
construction equipment manufacturer
outside of the country, and plans to expand
its facilities as a result of strong business
growth.
Marketing manager Arda Güven said the
company had bought 405ha of land near its
He was optimistic on future prospects in the
Turkish market, given the number of large
infrastructure projects planned in the coming
years
“The Turkish government has also declared
that it will seek to use Turkish brands as far
as possible for these infrastructure projects,”
he said.
Burcelik, meanwhile, produces aggregate
crushing equipment and plants with
capacities of up to 600 tonnes per hour.
Sales manager Serdar Besler said, “We provide
equipment for the mining, quarrying and
construction industries as well as recycling
and demolition.
“We are seeing new projects all over the
country and also expect more sales into
neighbouring countries in North Africa, the
CIS and some Arabic countries. We expect the
Turkish government to support us with the
cost of developing new units.”
Pi Makina is another large manufacturer
in Turkey, producing concrete batching
plants, concrete pumps, tower cranes, trucks,
motor graders wheeled loaders and backhoe
loaders, as well as crushing and screening
plants. It presented a new wheeled loader at
the show – the 1051 A, an 11 tonne machine
with a hydrostatic power train, powered by an
88kW engine.
But alongside the local talent were many big
names from the international construction
equipment market. JCB’s Turkish dealer, Sif, for
instance, expects sales to reach 15,000 units
by April 2014 – growth of 20% compared to
the financial year to April 2013.
Sif managing director Cüneyt Divriş said
major infrastructure projects in the country
were fuelling growth.
He said 2012 had been a record year with
an estimated 12,750 JCB machines sold in
Turkey, “up 25% compared to the year before.
Soaring demand for quality steel
Thomas Hörnfeldt, senior vice president
of special steels and international sales
at Finnish steel producer Ruukki, said
demand in Turkey for high quality steel was
increasing.
“Our customers need steel for trucks,
cranes, excavators and concrete placing
machinery. We supply a number of OEMs
and have seen rising demand for special
steel in particular.”
Special steel is designed to withstand
demanding conditions and is characterised
by high strength and hardness. Mr
Hörnfeldt said demand for this type of steel
in Turkey was around three times higher
than it was in India.
“There are lots of manufacturers here and
they want to produce quality machines,” Mr
Hörnfeldt said. “We now have a 38% market
share in Turkey, and are seeing far less
standard steel being used than in other developing markets such as China.
“Special steel can make construction equipment last two to three times longer compared
to standard steel. It can withstand robust treatment, and also helps our customers use less
steel.”
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An S-280 Hydrohammer
frommanufacturer IHC
Hydrohammer is being
used to drive foundation
piles for the Izmit
Bay Bridge – a 3.3km
suspension bridge being
built at the eastern end
of the Sea of Marmara
current manufacturing facilities in Ankara for
future expansion.
“We aim to grow into a full line producer,
and will build a big production facility there,
but are still discussing which machines we will
manufacture.
“We are seeing increased demand for
higher tonnage excavators from the marble
quarrying and mining sectors, but also
increased interest in compact machines. We
are also the dealer for Yanmar mini excavators
in Turkey and have seen a definite increase in
demand on this too,” said Mr Güven.
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