Industry Ministry Outlines El Hadjar Steel Complex Modernization
The Algerian Ministry of Industry has launched a comprehensive plan to rebuild and modernize the El Hadjar steel complex, signaling a strategic priority for the nation's heavy industry development. This initiative, highlighted by Minister Yahia Bachir, aims to transform El Hadjar into a cornerstone for the sector, leveraging its significant industrial base and potential. Senior officials, including Mekdad Aggoun from the Ministry and Lotfi El Alem from the national steel industry holding (SNS), have detailed a roadmap focused on financial restructuring, renewing the industrial model, and technology transfer.
The strategic plan addresses previous challenges such as accumulated debts and outdated production processes, proposing a shift towards modern practices. Key elements include a thorough financial cleanup, identified as a primary priority, which involves a joint study with the Ministry of Finance to clarify El Hadjar's financial standing and determine necessary investments for its revival. The modernization effort will also introduce new electric furnaces to progressively replace the coke-based model, aligning production with national energy and mineral resources to achieve cost reduction and produce high-value-added steel.
A new organizational structure for the complex will involve separating upstream and downstream activities through the creation of two joint ventures operating under Sider, the state-owned managing company. These entities will focus on iron ore processing and reduced iron production, and steel production and commercialization, respectively. This structure is intended to attract specialized partners, mobilize financing, and share industrial and technological risks. Furthermore, the plan incorporates the Berrahal rolling mill, now under Sider, to boost concrete rebar production with an announced capacity of 800,000 tonnes, rapidly re-injecting productive capacities into the national steel system.
International collaboration forms a crucial component of the revival, with ongoing negotiations targeting European and Asian partnerships. Algeria seeks a
