China to construct mega sea port in Algeria

Algeria’s Transport Ministry, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) have signed an agreement to construct a mega sea port in Algeria.

The US$3.3bn project will be constructed on the new center transshipment port of Cherchell. However, a consortium company to build the port will be established and the port will be constructed within the capital city Algiers some 60 km west of the city.

Establishment of the company is expected to be finalized in March this year and gets approved by the State’s council share holdings along with the shareholding pact signature.

The project will include 23 docks capable of processing 6.5 million 20-foot containers and 26 million tons of goods per annum.

Algeria’s port traffic is expected to hit 35 million tons or two million 20-foot containers per year by 2050. The project is however expected to be completed within a period of 7 years. The port will gradually be put to operational within 4 years of the construction period as China’s Shanghai Ports Group will ensure its management.

Shanghai Port Group will be responsible of the international shipment traffic from the Southeast Asia and other continents to pass from this Center Port as well as transshipment process to continue sea transport to elsewhere, or use the Algerian highway and railway networks to carry shipments to Africa.

According to Algeria’s Transport Minister, Boudjemaa Talai, for many years now, the government has always wanted to construct the mega Central Harbor, and it has successfully positioned it as a transit port at the Mediterranean area that will provide service to North Africa and Europe as well as the Mediterranean region. He further added that, Mali and other landlocked neighboring countries require such port.

China based companies have been awarded the project due to the traditional friendship between the two nations and the strong bilateral relationship in political, economic and cultural fields.