Annaba phosphate port works advance, first exports due by March 2027

The Ministry of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure has given the latest progress report on the phosphate port extension in Annaba on Wednesday.

Algérie 360 reported that the project includes a mining quay covering an estimated 82 hectares.

According to a ministry statement, pile driving is moving quickly, with 1,092 of the 1,322 planned piles now complete.

Piles are being driven at a rate of seven to 10 a day.

Work on the upper structure of the quay wall also continues. So far, 88 reinforced concrete beams and 880 precast reinforced concrete slabs have been made.

Preparations are under way to pour concrete for the upper slab, which will form the frame of the quay.

Backfilling continues behind the quay and at depth, using marine sand. About 1.5 million cubic metres have been placed on the rear platform, and total fill has passed 2.5 million cubic metres.

Dynamic compaction, a ground treatment also called vibroflotation, continues on sandy soils to improve their load-bearing capacity. Prefabricated vertical drains are also used to control how much the soil settles.

Rock and dredging

Trucks continue to tip stone and rock to support the sea works linked to the extension of the old breakwater. So far, 4.2 million tonnes of stone have been placed, out of 5.5 million tonnes planned.

Rock blocks and heavy concrete masses are meant to give the protection needed against swell and sea currents.

Dredging to reach the required depths is also under way, including in the basin, where the target is 16 metres below sea level. So far, 10.6 million cubic metres have been removed, out of 13 million planned.

The extension is part of an integrated phosphate project that aims to carry ore from deposits in Tébessa wilaya to Annaba.

From there, the ore is to be exported to foreign markets through the Eastern mining railway line, which is still under construction.

The President ordered that the first cargoes of enriched phosphate from the integrated project be exported no later than March 2027.