At the edge of the desert
Exposed to the Sahara desert climate, a new cement plant has been taking shape some 40km north of Biskra, Algeria. In the hot arid summer with temperatures reaching 49.4˚C and an annual rainfall of less than 100mm, the construction of the Algeria Spa CILAS cement works presented its own challenges, but a flexible approach by main contractor CBMI contributed to the successful completion of the project. By Jinjun Gu and Yingying Zhang, CBMI Construction Co Ltd, China.
![](/content/uploads/images/8d28fada-c95c-4c05-9145-0d7804c5fc0d.jpg)
The new cement works of Algeria Spa CILAS was successfully commissioned on 10 July 2016
On 28 April 2014, Algeria Spa CILAS, a joint venture between Algeria’s Souakri Group and LafargeHolcim, awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a new 5000tpd greenfield cement plant near Biskra to China-based CBMI. The new works is expected to help alleviate the country’s current cement shortage.