OREANDA-NEWS. January 28, 2010. Representatives of the Spanish metal group Celsa have visited Estonia to explore the possibility of buying here scrap metal for its European plants, the business daily Aripaev reports.

Celsa is interested in buying up scrap metal and exporting it through the port of Paldiski. The company itself did not comment on the purpose of the visit and its plans.

Member of the board of Kuusakoski Kaido Aettik said rumors of Celsa's plans were afloat last year when the group entered the Lithuanian market. "It was clear already then that the Spanish won't stop there and will expand across the Baltic countries," Aettik observed.

He said Celsa is the world's largest reinforcement steel producer with plants throughout Europe and a workforce of around 8,000.

Local scrap metal buyers estimate that Celsa's entry into the Estonian market will raise prices by 15-20 percent. Celsa could conquer 30-40 percent of the market.

The volume of the local scrap metal market is estimated at 300,000-400,000 tons.