CVG Briquetera del Caroní DRI plant (CVG Briquetera del Caroní, Briqcar, Venprecar), also known as Briqcar, Venprecar, is a steel plant in Ciudad Guayana, Anzoátegui, Venezuela that operates direct reduced iron (DRI) technology.
The CVG Briquetera de Caroní DRI plant traces its origins back to 1990, when it began operations under the name Venprecar (Venezolana de Prerreducidos del Caroní, C.A.), a private company owned by IBH (International Briquettes Holding), a division of Briquetas de Sivensa.[1] The plant's original iron making capacity of 600,000 tpa (tonnes per annum) was raised to 715,000 tpa in 1994, with a second expansion in 1998 increasing capacity to the current 815,000 tpa.[1] During the period of private ownership, roughly 80% of Briqcar's production was exported to the United States, Europe and other international markets.
In 2009, Venprecar was nationalized, together with several other Venezuelan iron and steel companies.[1] Iron production, which had peaked near 90% of installed capacity in the early 2000s, began falling under state ownership, and by 2014 it had plummeted to only 10% of plant capacity.[1] Production has recovered somewhat in recent years, reaching 257,000 tonnes in the first 10 months of 2020.[2] In early 2021 the Venezuelan government announced it was building a new railway line to facilitate the supply of iron ore and pellets to the plant, with the goal of raising production above 350,000 tpa.[2][3]
To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
