International Tender to Expand, and Develop the Largest Port in Algeria

The Ministry of Public Works and Basic Facilities launched a national and international tender to carry out a study to expand the international port of “Djen Djen” in Jijel (eastern Algeria), which is considered the largest commercial port in the country, in line with the directives of President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

At the same time, work continues on the final container project that will be delivered before the end of 2025, as it will handle more than 2 million containers annually, making this facility one of the largest in the Mediterranean.

The tender’s announcement, which was reviewed by “Echorouk” and published on Sunday, stated that the National Agency for the Realization of Maritime Facilities is launching an open national and international tender, with minimum capacity requirements, to complete the study of the expansion of the port of Djen Djen in Jijel, indicating that the first task of this tender relates to studying the volume of traffic, needs, economic and financial analyses, general survey, exploration operations and design.

In the same context, a senior official source in the Ministry of Public Works and Basic Facilities told Echorouk that this expansion comes within the framework of the instructions of President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune recently, embodies in the international and national tender that was announced.

According to the same source, the port of Djen Djen in Jijel is currently the only one at the national level that has a quay depth of 18 meters and receives ships larger than any other port in Algeria, while after the end of the expansion works that were announced, it will reach a quay with a depth of 20 meters and a length of 3000 meters, which will allow the docking of larger ships and loads at the same time.

Echorouk sources explained that the development works of the container terminal at the port of Djen Djen are underway and will be received before the end of 2025.

The port, according to the same source, handled 53,000 containers in 2023, excluding the facility designated for the final container terminal, given that work is ongoing, in addition to 9 million tons of various goods and commodities, while this terminal is expected to receive and handle 2 million containers upon receipt, which will make it one of the most important facilities designated for containers in the western Mediterranean basin.

The development plan for the port of Djen Djen, which came within the directives of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, during the Cabinet meeting on July 15, 2024, comes according to Echorouk source given its availability of several qualifications and advantages, including the outlet that connects it to the East-West highway at the level of El Eulma in the state of Setif (eastern Algeria), at a distance of 110 Kms, which first section will be inaugurated in the coming few weeks.

Among the qualifications, the port of Djen Djen has also a freight and handling station for railway goods in the heart of the port facility with an annual capacity of 12 million tons, and is also linked to the Bellara iron and steel complex in the municipality of El Milia, 45 kilometres away, and is also connected to the Ramdan Djamel station in the wilaya of Skikda, which is 150 kilometres away.

The port is also located only 50 nautical miles from the global shipping lane that extends from Asia to the European continent.