Algeria has completed most of a project to build a 1,000-km rail line linking its largest iron ore mine to key industrial areas and export terminals.
The official Algerian news agency said that a 135-km line connecting Gara Djebilet mine to the rail network in the Western Tindouf province has been finished.
The agency quoted project manager Abdul Qadir Mazar that the bulk of the rest of the rail line has also been completed and that it would be commissioned late this year.
“The completion of this project is a big leap in the efforts to fully exploit this mine and transport iron ore to other parts of the country and export terminals,” he said.
Algeria said last year it is planning to invest USD 7-10 bln for the development of the giant mine with a targeted production of 40 mln tons of iron.
The Gara Djebilet mine was commissioned in mid-2022 with planned initial production of between two to three mln tons per year.
The mine straddles over an area of more than 125 mln square metres and is rated as one of the world’s largest iron mines.
The Energy and Mines Ministry said it has set a target to produce 12 mln tons of iron per year from the mine in 2025 and over 40 mln tons per year in 2040. Gara Djebilet contains an estimated 3.5 bln tons of iron ore, of which around 1.7 bln tons are exploitable.
