Algeria has entered a decisive stage in the development of its mining sector, officially setting April 2026 as the start date for operations at the first iron ore processing plant at the Gara Djebilet mine in Tindouf, according to local media reports.
Strategic step toward economic diversification
The plant, managed by Sonarem, Algeria’s national company for mining research and exploitation, will process up to 4 million mt per year, using advanced crushing, screening, and dry separation technologies with a recovery rate exceeding 85 percent.
According to Sonarem CEO Belkacem Soltani, the project forms part of Algeria’s broader plan to exploit its vast mineral resources and build a diversified, sustainable economy. The Gara Djebilet deposit, one of the world’s largest, with 3.5 billion mt of reserves, will see capacity expand to 10 million mt annually by 2032.
Growing international cooperation
Soltani confirmed that companies from the United States, India, and China have shown increasing interest in partnering on the project and that joint working groups have been established to develop phosphorus-reduction technologies and accelerate local technical testing.
Strengthening geological infrastructure
Nadjiba Bourenane, director general of Algeria’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies, emphasized the importance of upgrading Algeria’s geological infrastructure and expanding the national mineral database. Speaking at a national workshop on natural resources in Algeria, she highlighted the use of modern exploration technologies to identify strategic minerals such as lithium, iron, and phosphates - key to meeting future industrial and energy transition goals.
