An important ministerial meeting was held today, Thursday, to follow up on the progress of the integrated phosphate project in the far east of the country, in implementation of the directives of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, aimed at accelerating the pace of completion of this strategic project and ensuring its entry into production within the specified deadlines.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State, the Minister of Hydrocarbons, Mohamed Arkab, the Minister of Public Works and Basic Installations, Abdelkader Glaoui, and the Minister of Mines and Mining Industry, Murad Hanifi, in the presence of the Secretary of State to the Minister of Mines and Mining Industry, Karima Bakir Tafer, the President and Director General of the Sonatrach Complex, Noureddine Daoudi, and the general directors of the relevant institutions, along with executives and representatives from the various sectors and bodies concerned with the project.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, the meeting reviewed the progress recorded at the level of the Bilad Al Hadba mining pole in the state of Tebessa, which represents the first link in the value chain of the project, as the region has important phosphate reserves that are among the largest global reserves, as the geological resources of the eastern phosphate basin are estimated at more than three billion tons, while the exploitable reserves in the Bilad Al Hadba mine alone amount to about 841 million tons.
The status of mine exploitation works and the completion of phosphate enrichment units were also monitored, which will allow the processing and enrichment of approximately 10 million tons annually of raw phosphate to produce approximately 6 million tons annually of marketable enriched phosphate, directed to supply the chemical conversion units with the Sulfur Valley compound.
At the level of the industrial pole in Wadi El Kebrit in the state of Souk Ahras, the progress of preparations for the completion of the phosphate chemical conversion complex, which constitutes the cornerstone of the combined project, was evaluated, as it will include an integrated industrial group for the production of phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers and intermediate products with high added value.
This industrial compound, after it enters into exploitation, will enable the production of four million tons annually of phosphate fertilizers of various types, DAP, MAP, and NPK, in addition to nitrogenous fertilizers (urea). It will also include the production of strategic intermediate materials, namely sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and ammonia, thus enhancing Algeria’s position as a regional and international supplier of fertilizers and related chemical products.
The participants also reviewed the progress of the infrastructure projects accompanying the project, most notably the eastern mining line of the railway linking Annaba, Souk Ahras, Tebessa and Bilad Al Hadba, at a distance of 422 km, which constitutes a strategic logistical artery to ensure the transportation of phosphate and transformed products towards the transformation and export areas. In this context, significant progress has been recorded in various sections of the project, especially at the level of railway laying works and the completion of major technical installations, bridges and tunnels.
The attendees stressed that the current pace of achievement allows the program to continue to be implemented according to the established schedule, especially after addressing a number of technical intersection points with the electricity and gas networks, thanks to the tight coordination between the various sectors and concerned bodies.
An important part of the meeting was also devoted to following up on the Annaba Phosphate Port expansion project, which includes the completion of the mining pier designated for the export of phosphate and its derivatives. The progress of the ongoing works was monitored, especially after the launch of marine sand dredging operations and the completion of the backfill ground behind the pier, in addition to strengthening the technical means allocated to the project, allowing to increase the pace of completion and ensuring its receipt within the specified deadlines.
The ministers stressed that the integration between the Bilad Al-Hadba mine, the chemical conversion complex in Wadi El-Kebir, the railway transport infrastructure, and the mining platform in the port of Annaba represents a decisive factor in the success of this strategic project, which will enable the commencement of production, marketing and export of the first shipments of phosphate and its derivatives starting in the first trimester of the year 2027, in implementation of the instructions of the President of the Republic.
During the meeting, the ministers stressed the need to continue working according to the methodology of permanent coordination and careful field follow-up, while raising the pace of completion and addressing all technical and administrative obstacles within the deadlines, ensuring respect for the specified calendar and achieving the strategic objectives of the project.
At the conclusion of the meeting, a set of practical measures were agreed upon aimed at accelerating the implementation of the various components of the project, while intensifying coordination among all stakeholders and adopting periodic follow-up mechanisms.
