Physical Address
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Traveling to Tindouf, the Minister of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure, Abdelkader Djellaoui, supervised this Saturday the progress of the Béchar–Tindouf–Gara Djebilet mining railway line project. A field visit which aims to accelerate the pace of the construction site to guarantee its commissioning in 2026, in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Republic.
On this occasion, the minister was keen to highlight the national scope of this infrastructure, considered a major lever for the development of mining and the connection of production areas to major transport networks. A structuring project which, according to him, will significantly contribute to boosting economic growth.
This visit is part of the close monitoring of the work, with the aim of accelerating the mobilization of the necessary resources in order to meet the set deadlines. The directives of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, which provide for the commissioning of the line from the beginning of 2026.
Mr. Djellaoui insisted on the obligation to maintain a high level of quality and speed of execution, setting the objective of finalizing the work by the end of December 2025, a step prior to the effective launch of the operation of the route of the railway line in January 2026.
Secondly, the minister inspected the Tindouf railway station at kilometer point 811, where he noted the progress of the various planned developments. He recalled the importance of respecting the technical standards in force and accelerating the pace of work in accordance with the established schedule, ensuring strict compliance with the safety and precision requirements necessary for commissioning on time.
The third stage of the visit was devoted to examining the railway section between kilometer points 805 and 785, where the minister inquired about the rail laying operation. At the end of this inspection, he instructed the companies in charge of the project to strengthen their resources and maintain a continuous pace of work, i.e. 24 hours a day, in order to guarantee the completion of the site within the allotted time frame.
Regarding the component linked to mining, the first processing unit of 4 million tonnes of iron in Tindouf should enter service at the beginning of 2026, while a second similar unit is also planned in the first phase of the project by 2032.
In Béchar, an iron processing plant was launched in partnership with Tosyali and Feral of the Sonarem 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.
Furthermore, a unit in Naâma will be intended for products with higher added value, directly exploitable by the steel industry or exportable.
The exploitation of the Gara Djebilet deposit, whose reserves reach 3 billion tonnes, now constitutes an integrated industrial project, covering the wilayas of Tindouf, Béchar and Naâma. This project is fully in line with the vision of the President of the Republic aimed at diversifying the national economy away from hydrocarbons.