Algeria’s refining capacities are expected to increase to 45 million tons per year by 2021, said Thursday in Hassi-Messaoud (80 km south of Ouargla), General Secretary of Energy Ministry Fatima Zohra Cherfi.
The objective of increasing the production will be possible following the construction of the three refineries in Hassi-Messaoud, Tiaret and Biskra, said Cherfi during a meeting held in Haoud El-Hamra, as part of the celebration of the double anniversary of the nationalization of hydrocarbons (1971) and the creation of the General Union of the Algerian Workers (1956).
The official also said that the energy products distribution network will be increased to 300 stations throughout Algeria, in order to increase storage capacities to one month.
Those projects are part of an “ambitious” program aiming at intensifying search and exploitation efforts to reach long-term energy security and meet the growing domestic demand in energy, through the exploitation of all the fields and use of modern technologies.
The sector is ambitioning to increasing the share of electricity production from renewable energies, including solar, to around 27% by 2035, she said.
The production of electricity from renewable energies reached 400 megawatts in the plants installed in 14 provinces.
The ministry announced that national and international calls for tender would be launched during the first quarter of 2017 on the construction of 4,000 megawatt solar plants and the manufacturing of solar panels in Algiers.
