Turkey's Yildiz Demir Celik reduces environmental impact through water recovery and renewable energy projects

Turkish steel company Yıldız Demir Çelik (YDÇ) has published its Sustainability Report for 2023-2024, which details progress in environmental, social and governance (ESG). The report, prepared in accordance with the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), highlights achievements in the areas of resource efficiency, energy management, closed-loop economics and social responsibility.

Resource efficiency and environmental impact

Selcuk Yilmaz, CEO of YDÇ, stated that sustainability is firmly embedded in YDÇ's business strategy. The commissioning of the galvanizing and cutting line in 2023 increased production capacity and created new employment opportunities. By 2024, the company's capacity utilization reached 80 percent, with 42 percent of its products destined for export markets, which strengthened its position in the global market.

The company has reduced its environmental impact through water management and waste disposal projects, while planning further emissions reductions through the integration of renewable energy sources and the introduction of hydrogen technologies into production processes.

Water resources and energy management

YDÇ has become a pioneer in the field of sustainable water use in the Turkish steel sector:

• He became the first Turkish steel producer to use regenerated gray water in production.
• Gray water accounted for 95 percent of total water consumption.
• 23.5 percent of the total volume of water used in 2024 was