13/08/2026
Press Release
Rehabilitation and Development of the El Hadjar Complex as Part of a Strategic Programme to Advance the Iron and Steel Industry.
The rehabilitation and development of the El Hadjar Complex falls within the strategic directives of the country’s highest authorities, aimed at rehabilitating the national industrial base, strengthening its production capacities, consolidating industrial sovereignty, and reducing dependence on imports, thereby contributing to economic growth, creating added value, and generating employment opportunities.
Within this framework, the Ministry of Industry is implementing an integrated plan to rehabilitate and develop the El Hadjar Complex, based on modernising its production capacities, improving its performance, enhancing the value of its industrial assets, and integrating it into a comprehensive national iron and steel industry ecosystem.
In this context, on Monday, 10 August 2026, the Minister of Industry, Mr Yahia Bachir, chaired a meeting at the Ministry’s headquarters with a delegation from China Baowu Steel Group, which resulted in the establishment of a work programme to continue consultations. The programme includes organising technical meetings and site visits, such as a visit to the El Hadjar Complex, as well as coordination meetings with the ministerial departments, bodies, and companies concerned with the project, particularly those responsible for mining, energy, and hydrocarbons, in addition to other relevant institutions and bodies. These efforts are being undertaken at the initiative of, and under the supervision of, the Ministry of Industry to complete the assessment of the technical and economic data and to reach a common understanding of the options under consideration for the development of the project.
As a culmination of this process, on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, the Minister of Industry, Mr Yahia Bachir, chaired a meeting at the Ministry’s headquarters with a delegation from China Baowu Steel Group, comprising several senior executives from the Group’s subsidiaries and affiliated companies, in the presence of representatives of China Road & Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in Algeria. The meeting was also attended by the Chief Executive Officer of SNS Holding, as well as representatives of the SIDER Industrial Group and Algeria Steel (ALSOLB).
The participation of China Baowu Steel Group is of particular significance, given its extensive international experience in the iron and steel industry, particularly in the fields of advanced technologies, industrial digitalisation, direct reduction and the production of direct reduced iron and hot briquetted iron (DRI/HBI), as well as the development of green iron and steel and the reduction of carbon emissions.
The discussions also addressed the prospects for harnessing green hydrogen in the production of low-carbon-emission iron and steel, drawing on the Group’s experience and expertise in this field, as well as Algeria’s abundant mining and energy resources and its promising potential in renewable energy. The approach is geared towards a productive industrial partnership based on technology and expertise transfer, skills development, the localisation of industrial activities, and the strengthening of local integration.
The National Iron and Steel Company (SNS) plays a pivotal role in this process, as a key partner in enhancing and developing its industrial assets and contributing to the implementation of the State’s vision for advancing the iron and steel sector, through modernising production facilities, improving efficiency and performance, developing value-added products, and strengthening industrial integration.
Given the strategic nature of the project, the adopted approach is based on coordination among the various sectors and institutions concerned, ensuring integration across the industrial, technical, energy, mining, logistics and training dimensions, and linking the development of the El Hadjar Complex to the various stages of the value chain, from the valorisation of mining resources and the processing of iron ore to iron and steel production and the development of value-added products, with a view to advancing towards a green iron and steel industry.
The outcomes of the meetings and consultations held provide a basis for continuing the technical and economic studies and for identifying priorities and areas of partnership. Both sides agreed to continue working in accordance with a defined timetable, with China Baowu Steel Group expected to submit, by the end of September 2026, the project’s final technological concept and a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the partnership, together with a detailed roadmap for implementing the project on the ground.
The Ministry of Industry reaffirms that this project forms part of a national vision aimed at revitalising strategic industrial assets and developing a more integrated and competitive iron and steel industry, thereby strengthening national production, increasing levels of local integration, supporting downstream industries, and contributing to the consolidation of industrial sovereignty.
This dynamic also opens broader prospects for developing investment and partnership opportunities between Algeria and China across several industrial sectors, based on productive projects that generate added value. The Ministry of Industry stands ready to support partners and investors, in coordination with the various sectors and bodies concerned, thereby contributing to the implementation of economically viable industrial projects with a sustainable impact.
