Posted on January 21, 2016
China and Algeria have signed a $US3.3 billion ($F7.1b) agreement to build a new centre transshipment port at Cherchell, Algiers, Xinhua reported.
Located about 60 km west of the capital Algiers, the expanded Cherchell port will be able to handle 6.5 million 20-foot containers and 26 million tonnes of goods per year.
The contract, signed on January 17 between the representatives of the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and the director in charge of ports at the Algerian Transport Ministry, will see the establishment of a consortium company which will focus on the port construction project, expected to be completed in two phases over seven years.
Relevant authorities expect the new company will be created in March 2016.
The new port with 23 docks will boost Algeria’s port traffic, which is expected to hit 35 million tonnes or two million 20-foot containers per year by 2050 in the country’s central region.
The port will cover an area of about 2000 hectares of Algiers’ sheltered natural bay where water depths reach 20 metres.
