Khaberni - Algeria inaugurated yesterday, Sunday, a railway line approximately 1,000 kilometers long, crossing the desert to transport iron ore from the south to the north of the country.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described the line as "one of the largest strategic projects in the history of independent Algeria".
Tebboune praised the "completion of the gigantic line in a record time of just 20 months".
The project was carried out by the Chinese group "CRCC" (CRCC) in cooperation with Algerian companies and with Algerian financing.
The project connects the Gara Djebilet mine located near Tindouf in southwestern Algeria with Bechar, which is 950 kilometers to the north.
The new railway line will transport iron ore to Oran (northwest) and then to a steel production plant.
The project aims to enhance Algeria's iron extraction capabilities, at a time when the country aspires to play a leading role in Africa in steel production.
24 mineral material trains will be operated daily in both directions on this line, in addition to two passenger trains, with a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
Although the real value of the project was not disclosed, local journalistic sources previously mentioned that the value of the new project is estimated at 700 billion dinars (5.2 billion dollars).
The project is part of a comprehensive national strategy - launched by Algeria in recent years - to develop structured projects, aiming to expand the railway network to reach 15,000 kilometers by 2030.
In a previous statement to Al Jazeera Net, economic expert Houari Tigressi said the project ends a long-standing isolation of the Tindouf province and its giant mine, through the creation of a mining and logistical hub that transforms the southwest into a global industrial center, while ensuring high economic feasibility of industrial exploitation by saving transportation costs, equivalent to a quarter of the cost of traditional truck shipments.
Gara Djebilet Mine
• The iron reserves of the Gara Djebilet mine are estimated at 3.5 billion tons, and it has been unexploited for a long time due to its geographical location.
• It is expected that the mine will initially produce 4 million tons annually, with production expected to double to reach 12 million tons annually by 2030, eventually reaching 50 million tons annually in the long term, according to estimates by the national iron and steel company "Feral".
• The exploitation of the mine allows Algeria to significantly reduce its imports of iron ore, saving "1.2 billion dollars annually," according to the "Algeria Today" newspaper.
