Phosphate Project Positions Algeria as Regional Production Hub
Algeria's integrated phosphate project has entered a crucial phase of its realization, with the nation targeting the first enriched phosphate output by the first quarter of 2027, followed by fertilizer production in the fourth quarter of the same year. This strategic initiative is designed to establish Algeria as a regional and international hub for phosphate production, processing, fertilizers, and associated chemical products. The project holds particular significance for the President of the Republic's vision to valorize natural resources, strengthen local manufacturing, and diversify the national economy.
To advance this objective, Sonatrach and the Algerian Fertilizer Company recently finalized two Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contracts in Algiers. The first contract, awarded to the Italian company Saipem, pertains to the construction of integrated phosphate project facilities at the Bled El Hadba site in Tebessa province and Oued El Kebrit in Souk Ahras province. Concurrently, a second contract was signed with the Chinese Port Engineering Company for the development of essential port infrastructure at Annaba port. Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, underscored these agreements as a pivotal transition into a new stage of the project's practical implementation.
The integrated project comprises major industrial and port facilities, including an extraction and enrichment complex at Bled El Hadba, designed for an annual extraction capacity of 5.5 million tons of raw phosphate and 3.2 million tons of concentrated phosphate. An integrated industrial complex at Oued El Kebrit is slated to produce 2.4 million tons annually of phosphatic fertilizers and 570,000 tons of nitrogenous fertilizers, alongside other strategic industrial materials such as sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and ammonia. The Annaba port facilities will support the storage and export of final products. This integrated system, which also includes the construction of the 422-kilometer Eastern mining railway, is set to boost Algeria's non-hydrocarbon exports, support food security, and foster economic growth and job creation by transitioning from raw material valorization to high value-added product marketing.
