(Ecofin Agency) - Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal announced, on 14 October, that his country will start in 2016 the construction of a big transhipment port linked to the main highways in order to transport goods through Africa.

“The construction works of the new commercial port of the central region, to be located between the cities of Cherchell (Tipaza) and Ténès (Chlef), are scheduled to start in 2016”, Mr Sellal declared, indicating that this transhipment port will have “enormous” capacity.

The size of the port “will enable it, among other things, to transport goods to Africa after being connected to the main highways”, he added.

Considered as “one of the biggest projects of Algeria” according to the comments of the head of the Algerian government, the port will be built by public and private Algerian companies in partnership with foreign groups, on an investment of approximately 200 billion Algerian dinars (approx. USD2 billion).

The new port, which should cover an area of more than 100 hectares, will be supported by a logistics zone spread over 300 hectares. Once this port is completed, it is planned to progressively transfer some activities from the Alger Port to this new infrastructure.