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The effective launch of exploitation of the Gara Djebilet deposit is set for the first quarter of 2026, a deadline described as a “national event” by the President of the Republic. On this date, the first ore processing unit will come into service and inject nearly 4 million tonnes of iron into the national market, marking the concrete start of a project considered one of the most strategic in the country.
According to the chief of staff of the Secretary of State for Mines to the Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Djamel Eddine Choutri, this launch is part of a global strategy aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on iron ore imports, estimated today at nearly 10 million tonnes. This first production will make it possible to gradually replace imported volumes intended for national steel complexes, such as Tosyali, El Hadjar or Bellara. The Tosyali factory will also be the first user of iron processed in Béchar.
The Gara Djebilet deposit, whose reserves reach 3 billion tonnes, is no longer only considered as a mining resource lying dormant in the Algerian subsoil. It now constitutes an integrated industrial project, covering the wilayas of Tindouf, Béchar and Naâma. For Mr. Choutri, this project is fully in line with the President of the Republic’s vision aimed at diversifying the national economy away from hydrocarbons. It is not a question of replacing oil or gas, he specifies, but of establishing strategic complementarity between the different sectors, he said this Tuesday on National Radio.
In Tindouf, the first 4 million tonne processing unit will enter service at the beginning of 2026, while a second similar unit is planned in the first phase of the project (2024-2032). In Béchar, a processing plant was launched in partnership with Tosyali and Feral (Sonaram group). It will first produce 4 million tonnes of concentrate, then 6 million tonnes of pellets to reach a total capacity of 10 million tonnes. Naâma, for its part, will be intended for products with higher added value, directly exploitable by the steel industry or exportable. Funding will be sought after final approval by the Council of Ministers.
One of the main historical obstacles of the project, concerning the transport of ore, was removed with the finalization of the Gara Djebilet – Béchar railway line, which will enter service at the beginning of 2026. This result represents a major turning point, because transport had long constituted “the number one challenge”, recalls Mr. Choutri.
The second major challenge concerned the phosphorus content of the ore, which was too high (0.8%). The technologies selected for Tindouf and Béchar will make it possible to reduce it to 0.2% or less, while Naâma will adopt specific techniques adapted to its production. These solutions were selected after tests carried out in the laboratory, semi-industrial and industrial settings, particularly with Chinese partners.
According to the chief of staff, the expected economic benefits are significant, namely the strengthening of industrial sovereignty, the reduction of the import bill, the creation of 250 direct jobs in Tindouf for the first unit, 800 in Béchar and the revitalization of local economies through housing, transport, services and subcontracting.
Choutri emphasizes that the exploitation of the deposit remains entirely Algerian, foreign partners are only involved in the construction of the processing units.
The share of the mining sector in national GDP, currently close to 1%, will gradually increase thanks to the rise of local production and the on-site processing of minerals. In addition to Gara Djebilet, other projects will contribute to this dynamic: the integrated phosphate project in three wilayas, the lead-zinc project in Béjaïa, as well as several industrial mineral processing plants.
The investments made are substantial, approximately $135 million for the Tindouf project (deposit and unit), and approximately $800 million for the Béchar project. All have been validated after in-depth profitability studies. The State supports these projects by providing the necessary infrastructure (water, gas, electricity) and by adopting an incentive regulatory framework.
The new Mining Code has simplified procedures, encouraged prospecting and strengthened the guarantees granted to investors. It also includes tax and financial incentives appreciated by several foreign partners interested in gold, manganese, phosphate and other industrial minerals. The new Investment Code has facilitated the launch of these projects and improved their profitability. The implementing texts of the Mining Code will be finalized before the end of the year, in accordance with the commitments made to the President.
In this regard, Mr. Choutri affirmed that all the sectors concerned (mining, public works, transport) are working in a coordinated manner to meet the deadline of the first quarter of 2026, placing the Gara Djebilet project at the heart of the national strategy for economic sovereignty and non-hydrocarbon diversification.