Hassi R'Mel power plant opens with 368 MW capacity

A 368 MW power plant opened on Tuesday in Hassi R'Mel commune, in Laghouat wilaya, to help increase national power production.

Mourad Adjal, minister of Energy and Renewable Energies, opened the plant in the presence of Mohamed Benmalek, wali (governor) of Laghouat.

Algérie Eco reported that the plant cost 31bn dinars and covers nearly 15 hectares. It uses modern technology and runs mainly on natural gas, with diesel as a backup fuel.

Mr Adjal said Laghouat is an energy hub, given its potential and production facilities. The wilaya has four conventional power plants with a combined capacity of 1,200 MW, plus 360 MW from renewable energy.

Mr Adjal said the sector plans to raise power production and build energy infrastructure. In future, this would allow electricity exports to Niger and Mali, as already happens with Tunisia and Libya.

The minister also said that 114,000 farms and 120 industrial zones have been connected to energy networks so far. These connections help improve conditions for investment and economic growth.

A North-South link

Mr Adjal also inspected work on a 400 kilovolt (kV) North-South high-voltage power link. The link is meant to strengthen the national grid, improve its reliability and carry more power to southern regions.

The link will also meet the needs of consumers and investors, according to details given during the visit.