Algiers, August 12, 2026
Today, SONATRACH and the Algerian Fertilizers Company (AFC) signed two Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts as part of the implementation of the Integrated Phosphate Project, with the Italian company SAIPEM S.p.A. and the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), respectively.
The first contract, concluded with the company SAIPEM S.p.a, concerns the EPC construction of fertilizer processing and production facilities located at Bled El Hadba, Bir El Ater province and Oued El Keberit, Souk Ahras province.
The second contract, signed with CHEC, concerns the EPC construction of port facilities at the Port of Annaba.
The Integrated Phosphate Project (IPP) consists of the extraction and enrichment of the Bled El Hadba phosphate deposit, before its chemical transformation, along with the processing of natural gas into phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers, at the Oued Keberit.
This project is of strategic importance to the national economy. It will help meet the growing needs of the national agricultural sector, while also generating volumes for export through the port infrastructure of Annaba, thereby contributing to the creation of added value.
The Phosphate Project, the first integrated project of its kind in the field of mining and fertilizer production in Algeria, will involve the construction of significant industrial infrastructure, including:
• A raw phosphate extraction and beneficiation complex with an extraction capacity of 5.5 million tons/year and a total production capacity of 3.2 million tons/year of phosphate concentrate at the Bled El Hadba site in the Bir El Ater Province.
• An industrial complex comprising several production units with a capacity of 2.4 million tons/year of phosphate fertilizers and 570 thousand tons/year of nitrogen fertilizers (urea), with prior production of intermediate products such as sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and ammonia at the Oued Keberit site .
• Port facilities at the port of Annaba, dedicated to exporting surplus fertilizer production.
• The utilities and auxiliary infrastructure necessary for its operation.
The Integrated Phosphate Project is distinguished by its exceptional scope and highly structuring nature. It will contribute the emergence of an integrated industrial ecosystem, generating thousands of direct and indirect jobs, while stimulating the economic development of the regions concerned and consolidating national industrial capacities.
Beyond its economic dimension, this project constitutes a strategic lever for strengthening national sovereignty by ensuring sustainable fertilizer production to meet domestic market needs while developing exports, it will make a decisive contribution to the country’s food security and wealth creation.
End of Press Release
