Lafarge Algeria and Souakri’s joint venture, the 2.7Mta Biskra cement works, is expected to deliver its first bag of cement in August 2015, according to Eric Meuriot, head of Lafarge Algeria. Full production is scheduled for 2016.

Biskra is the fourth plant operated by Lafarge Algeria, which also owns plants at M’sila (5Mta) and Mascara (3Mta). In addition, the France-based cement producer also partners with Groupe Public Industries Ciments d’Algérie (GICA) in the running of the 1Mta Meftah facility.

The Algerian cement industry has been building capacity to meet the country’s cement shortage and it anticipated that by 2017 substantial additional output will be delivered to the domestic market. GICA has launched a dozen cement projects with a total production capacity of 11.5Mta while the mega cement plant of El Khroub (Constantine) of Issad Rebrab is expected to add a further 8Mta.