Kremikovtsi Metallurgical Combine

the largest metallurgical enterprise in Bulgaria; located in the village of Kremikovtsi (near Sofia), in a region of major iron ore deposits discovered in 1953. In addition to local ore, the combine receives ore from other deposits; it receives coking coal primarily from the USSR. Construction of the combine was begun in 1959 and is being carried out with the help of the USSR. Equipment in operation by 1972 included three blast furnaces with a usable capacity of 1,033 cu m each; three 100-ton converters; two electric furnaces of 100 tons capacity each; a by-product coke plant with three coke ovens; ore-enriching and sintering mills; shops for hot rolling, pipe rolling, and production of ferrous alloys; and a heat and electric power plant. The Kremikovtsi Metallurgical Combine produces pig iron, steel, rolled ferrous metals, seamless pipes, ferromanganese, and a number of chemical products, including ammonium sulfate, benzene, carbon disulfide, and solvents. The enterprise’s products are exported to many countries.