Six (6) petrochemical complex will be built by Sonatrach in 2020, as part of the revival of the processing industry in Algeria, the planning director at the national oil company Sonatrach, Lamine Ouis announced Sunday.
These complexes are the complex of mixed ethane cracking, LPG, naphtha, methanol and its derivatives as well as the production of anhydrides, Ouis said in a speech at the 9th edition of the North African Oil & Gas Summit, held from December 7 to 9 in Algiers.
These complexes are currently "being launched in partnership with foreign companies according to the 51/49 rule", while their commissioning is scheduled for 2020, according to the same official.
These projects are part of the first phase of Sonatrach plan for the revival of the national petrochemical industry as Algeria's imports of petrochemical products are estimated at USD 17.7 billion between 2008 and 2013, he added.
As for the second phase of the program, Ouis stated it is maturing
Through the multiplication of these projects, Algeria aims at meeting the local market needs and maximizing value added, as well as becoming a regional actor in the petrochemical market, stressed the representative of Sonatrach.
Ouis also said that much of the country's production of the petrochemical sector will be devoted, in the future, to export.