Algeria: GICA subsidiary starts work on Bechar plant

Work has begun on a new cement plat for Saoura-Ciment company, a GICA subsidiary. Situated 965km south of Algiers, the greenfield Bechar cement plant will cost DZD34bn to build and will have a cement capacity of 1Mta.

This plant, which will be commissioned in 2019, will allow the strengthening of national production to raise it to 23Mta, said officials from the Public Industrial Group of Cement of Algeria (GICA).

The industrial projects in Bechar are part of the new strategy of national industry development, said Tuesday Minister of Industry and Mines Abdessalem Bouchouareb.

"The launch of the construction works of the first cement plant in the country’s south confirms the initiative aiming at better exploitation of the mining resources and also meet the needs in cement," the minister said during a working visit to Bechar.

The cement plant will created 500 direct jobs and over 800 indirect jobs.