ANNABA-The mineral dock being built at the Port of Annaba, as part of the integrated phosphate project, will serve as the “starting point” for Algerian mineral product shipments abroad, and will actively contribute to export diversification.
Launched in 2024 to serve as the cornerstone and culmination of the project for extracting, processing and exporting mineral resources of the country’s Eastern region, particularly those of Blad El Hadba phosphate mine in Tebessa, the Annaba mineral dock represents a crucial structural project.
In parallel, a 422 km - railway line is under construction to be connected to this mineral dock after crossing the provinces of Souk Ahras, Guelma and Skikda, in order to transport the extracted and processed phosphate to Annaba, intended for the production of phosphate fertilizers and fertilizers for export and to meet national needs.
The construction of the mineral dock, whose delegated project management is provided by the National Agency for Port Infrastructure Implementation, is entrusted to a Sino-Algerian consortium consisting of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and public companies, namely COSIDER TP and MEDITRAM.
During the project’s opening ceremony last February, officials described it as a “strategic component of the national efforts to expand and diversify non-hydrocarbon exports, while achieving self-sufficiency in phosphate and agricultural fertilizer production.”
According to the project manager of the National Agency for Port Infrastructure Implementation, Mohamed-Mehdi Younsi, the mineral dock construction site, which covers an area of 82 hectares in the eastern zone of the port of Annaba, is operating, 6 months after the launch of works, at an “accelerated pace.”
The same official also said, during the launch of the works, that the mineral dock, 1,600 meters long with a draft (depth) of 16 meters, will allow large ships to dock. The project also includes the construction of a 1,400-meter-long breakwater jetty, in addition to several other port facilities.
The project site, as well as the living quarters established there, are today entirely fenced, in addition to the continuation of works involving the filling of submerged areas and soil preparation through the formation of superimposed layers of stones, gravel, and earth to stabilize the foundation in accordance with current geotechnical standards for large port facilities."
For their part, the engineers and technicians continue complementary geotechnical, geophysical, and topographical studies in cooperation with their Chinese counterparts in charge of the project.
It is also planned, according to data gathered on site, to accelerate the supply rate of various materials necessary for the works, such as aggregates of different grain sizes.
Once the mineral dock is complete, Annaba Port will transform from a conventional cargo and ferry terminal into a strategic maritime hub.
According to project officials, the facility will play a pivotal role in diversifying Algeria's non-oil exports and establishing new global supply routes for phosphate products.
