Şişecam is pursuing continuous growth with the aim of creating sustainable value for all its stakeholders. Toward this end, Şişecam opened a new automotive glass line worth about TRY 4 billion (USD 190 million) with additional capital investments at its facility in Luleburgaz, Kirklareli, Turkey. The new line will operate at an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes and create an additional 114 jobs.
Dr. Ahmet Kirman, Sisecam’s Chairman and Executive Member of the Board, commented on Şişecam’s investment in the field of automotive raw glass, saying, “In 2021, we had announced our decision to invest in a flat glass line in Luleburgaz because of the increasing global competition and the growing demand for automotive glass reaching significant levels in Turkey. Now, we are proudly bringing it to life. The new line will feature high efficiency production with a net width of 4.88 metres, well above the industry standards. Thanks to this investment, Şişecam’s float lines, which currently produce automotive glass, will be devoted entirely to architectural glass by expanding their capacity and boosting their efficiency.”
He continued by stating that a significant portion of thin and ultra-thin clear colourless and coloured float glass needs of Şişecam’s automotive glass production facilities will be met by the new float line. “In addition to this investment, construction is under way at Şişecam’s TR9 float line in Tarsus – one of the world’s top five largest capacity flat glass investments. The cold repair and capacity expansion of the TR1 float line in Luleburgaz is also ongoing. Once these two investments are completed, Şişecam’s total float production capacity in Turkey will increase by 30 percent and reach 2.6 million tonnes.”
Şişecam’s first state-of-the-art float facility starts production in Lüleburgaz
Şişecam’s Lüleburgaz facility was the first production facility equipped with advanced float technology in Eastern Europe, the Balkan region, Middle East and North Africa. The facility has been operating since 1981. Two furnaces operate at the facility to produce flat glass, mirrors, and automotive glass. Today, Şişecam produces automotive glass in Russia, Hungary, Slovakia, Germany, Bulgaria and Romania.