Algeria and Italy expand partnership through phosphate project

Algeria and Italy are expanding their economic partnership through a major integrated phosphate project aimed at boosting industrial capacity and food security. The initiative marks a strategic shift for the bilateral relationship, moving beyond traditional hydrocarbon cooperation into the mining and agricultural sectors.

Central to the project is the Italian group Saipem, which will utilize an ‘EPC Fast Track’ model to accelerate design and execution. The project involves extracting ore at Bled El Hadba in the Tebessa province and transporting it to Oued Kebrit in Souk Ahras for conversion into fertilizer. The goal is to reach an extraction capacity of 5.5 million tonnes per year.

Other international and local entities are involved in the development. China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has been contracted for port infrastructure in Annaba, while Algerian firms including Cosider Canalisations, SARPI, and GCB will contribute to various project components. The first extraction of enriched phosphate is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, with fertilizer production expected to begin in the final quarter of that year.