Zinc and Lead Mine in Oued Amizour: Arkab meets with officials from Australian and Chinese companies participating in the project
The Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, received on Saturday in Algiers the executives from the Australian company “Terramin” and the Chinese company “Sinosteel,” responsible for the development of the Tala Hamza-Oued Amizour zinc and lead mine project (Bejaïa). A statement from the ministry emphasised the economic importance of this project.
As part of the follow-up on the implementation of major mining projects, the minister met with Feng Sheng, CEO of “Terramin,” and Hua Guangming, General Director of “Sinosteel.” They were joined by the CEOs of the “Sonarem” group, the National Company for Non-Ferrous Mining Products and Useful Substances (ENOF), and the General Directors of the National Office of Geological and Mining Research (ORGM), as well as representatives from the Algerian-Australian joint venture WMZ, along with officials from the ministry and both companies.
This meeting took place following the signing of the contract for the development of the Tala Hamza-Oued Amizour zinc and lead mine, as well as the construction of a processing plant for these two materials.
The signing ceremony occurred on the same day at the headquarters of Sonarem’s General Directorate, between the “WMZ” company—represented by ENOF, ORGM, and the Australian company “Terramin”—tasked with managing the project and the Chinese company “Sinosteel,” which, under the contract, is responsible for the mine’s construction, the processing plant, and related facilities for this “important” project.
The meeting also followed the commencement of construction activities for the project at the WMZ site, which took place last Thursday in the presence of the Bejaïa wali and representatives from local authorities. The same source noted that significant equipment and human resources from the company responsible for the project have been mobilised, with notable progress in the notification process for expropriation procedures concerning the affected landowners.
During this meeting, the Minister of Energy and Mines congratulated the leaders of “Sonarem,” “Terramin,” and “Sinosteel” on the contract and reiterated the project’s economic importance, stressing the need to meet deadlines and expedite its commissioning, scheduled for July 2026.
He also highlighted the importance of adhering to the feasibility study’s conclusions, especially regarding technical and environmental aspects, particularly in terms of safety. He indicated that this project marks “the beginning of new opportunities for cooperation aimed at implementing further joint mining projects with Australian and Chinese partners across the country.”
The minister further noted that this project “fits into the framework of developing the mining sector and revitalising mining activities” and is expected to generate numerous benefits for the national economy and regional economic development through job creation, training, the development of the mining processing industry, and the transfer of expertise and technologies.
According to the minister, all of this aligns with “the government’s program, in accordance with the directives of the President of the Republic, aimed at fostering mining investment and improving the investment climate in Algeria.”
For their part, the CEOs of “Terramin” and “Sinosteel” expressed their “complete satisfaction” with the progress made in this project, thanks to the ongoing support from the ministry and local authorities. They reaffirmed their commitment to executing the project according to international standards, aiming to make it a reference model in the field in accordance with the approved feasibility study and the required environmental protection, safety, and socio-economic development standards, particularly through job creation and continuous training.
