Today, we're going to look at Turkey, the world's largest producer of boron, through the government-owned Eti Maden.
Turkey is blessed with abundant natural resources. Its boron reserves are a prime example. With enough reserves to cover global demand for the next 500 years, Turkey stands first in market share, manufactures, and markets 62% of the world's boron.
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Today, we're going to look at Turkey, which is the world's
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largest producer of boron through the government-owned Eti Maden.
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Turkey is blessed with abundant natural resources.
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Its boron reserves are a prime example.
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With enough reserves to cover global demand for the next 500
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years, Turkey stands first in market share and manufactures and
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markets 62% of the world's boron.
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An impressive 72% of all global reserves valued at over 800 million
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tons can be found in Turkey alone, which is a testament to the country's
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immense potential in mineral resources.
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According to Fatih Donmez, Energy and Natural Resources Minister,
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manufacturing capacity within the country currently stands at between
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2.6 and 2.7 million tons annually, with exports accounting for 2.5 million tons.
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He believes that this capacity could be increased easily if necessary.
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The uses for boron have been steadily increasing in recent years and experts
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believe that the global demand for the element will continue growing.
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As such, Turkey is well positioned to benefit from this trend,
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as its boron reserves are as seen the largest in the world.
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Turkey holds 70% of the worldwide boron market and is the leading boron producer.
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Last year alone, turkey outsourced $1 billion in boron-derived
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compounds and products.
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Dr.
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Selcuk Acar, a Turkish company PAVTEC’s Plant Director, estimates
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the global boron market to be valued at 50 billion US dollars.
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He's confident in the country's ability to achieve at least
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50% of this in under 10 years.
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Turkey's boron exports have also jumped in recent years, driven by
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its various applications in defense, aerospace, and clean energy industries.
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And boron helps make materials more heat-resistant as well as
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providing strength and durability.
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In the aerospace and automotive industries, boron compounds are
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used to create fuel for rockets and other forms of transportation.
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In the defense industry, boron is used in armor for tanks
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and other military vehicles to withstand high-intensity blasts.
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Boron's also becoming increasingly important in clean energy production
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as it's non-toxic and highly reliable, which increases the efficiency of
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various renewable energy sources.
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Donmez says that the boron carbide plant is essential to Eti Maden's
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commitment to increasing the ongoing value produced from boron.
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With an export volume of more than $1 billion last year and estimates
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will reach or exceed the same number in 2023, it's clear that Turkey has
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established itself as an international powerhouse for boron related industries.
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The focus on research and development has also enabled the
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country to expand its usage of boron into new and different areas.
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With nearly 200 industries utilizing this element, there are
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endless possibilities for creating new products with added value.
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Globally research has been done to explore the potential for boron further.
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Dr.
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Takahiro Kondo and his team at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, have created
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a hydrogen boride material, which offers a unique way to store and transport
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hydrogen without reducing efficiency.
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This could be the key to making green hydrogen use more practical.
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Working with major automobile companies in Japan, Dr.
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Kondo and his team aim to verify the characteristics of Hydrogen
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Borhide within the next two years.
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A further application with enormous potential is using a boron
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compound to generate electricity through a fusion reaction.
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Traditional nuclear power plants generate heat through fission reactions.
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Aside from being highly priced, the process produces a lot of radioactive
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particles and necessitates the use of turbines to generate electricity.
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An innovative technology being developed by HB11, an Australian
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company ,could revolutionize how energy is produced and consumed.
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Using lasers to create a fusion reaction, they can create power that can
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effectively deliver the grid with power.
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This has huge implications for reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate
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change and it also demonstrates the potential of hydrogen boron fusion
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as an efficient nuclear power source.
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Turkey, as well as other new players on the world, notably FEAM in Southern
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California, stand to benefit from the adoption of hydrogen boride,
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fusion technology, significantly.
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With large boron reserves in Turkey, the country can produce power for centuries.
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That's all from Borates Today.
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Thanks for listening.
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Please check our website Borates today for more articles and
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information on all aspects of things related to boron and borates.
