An agreement for the exploitation of one of the world’s largest zinc and lead deposits has just been signed in Algeria. The contract, signed on Saturday between the Algerian-Australian joint venture Western Mediterranean Zinc (WMZ) and the Chinese group Sinosteel, officially launches the strategic Thala Hamza-Oued Amizour project in the Béjaïa Province.
Valued at an estimated $471 million, this large-scale project includes the construction of a mine and a processing plant over an area of 23.4 hectares. The reserves, assessed at 54 million tonnes with 34 million tonnes being exploitable, rank this deposit among the most significant globally.
The target annual production is ambitious: 170,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate and 30,000 tonnes of lead. According to projections from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the operation is expected to generate a revenue of $215 million and a net profit of $60 million.
Mohamed Arkab, the Minister of Energy and Mines, has highlighted the economic importance of the project, setting its commissioning for July 2026. Leaders from Terramin and Sinosteel have committed to adhering to international standards, especially in environmental and safety matters.
The socio-economic impact is expected to be significant, with the creation of 1,000 direct jobs and 4,000 indirect jobs. The project will proceed in three phases: infrastructure construction, 19 years of operation, followed by a 5-year site rehabilitation.
This initiative aligns with the national strategy for the development of the mining sector, which is considered a priority by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. It is part of the three major structural mining projects of the country, alongside the Gara Djebilet iron mine and the Bled El Hadba phosphate mine.
