ALGERIA - The Annaba Complex.

There are four main production units for ammonium phosphate fertilisers, sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), ammonium nitrate and nitric acid, and ammonia at the Annaba complex, as follows:

* A 550,000 t/y phosphate fertiliser plant, which came on stream in May 1972. Its output was raised to around 85% of capacity from 1985. Sonatrach later contracted a consortium of Hitachi and Marubeni of Japan and Polymex-Cekkop of Poland to build two new phosphate fertiliser plants at Annaba and Tebessa. The Annaba plant consists of two sulphuric acid units with a combined capacity of 495,000 t/y, one 165,000 t/y phosphoric acid unit, one 330,000 t/y diammonium phosphate unit, several units to produce 550,000 t/y of compound fertilisers, plus phosphate pulverising and storage facilities.

* A 40,000 t/y STPP plant came on stream in March 1980, built by Krebs. It was completed in April 1978, but Sonatrach requested modifications which led to misunderstanding with Krebs, and the starting date for the plant was postponed several times. The unit's entire output is bought by Societe Nationale des Industries Chimiques for the manufacture of detergents.

* Ammonium nitrate and nitric acid units, completed in 1979, include two nitric acid units of 400 t/d each, two ammonium nitrate units of 500 t/d each and packaging and storage facilities. Ammonium nitrate production was aimed partly for use in the Algerian agricultural sector and partly for export. The needs of the phosphate fertiliser complexes were also to be met by these units. The process has been provided by Stamicarbon. The units were overhauled in the early 1980s. In 1988 a decision was taken to build a $500m phosphate complex at Bir El Ater near Tebessa, but the project was delayed.

* A 300,000 t/y ammonia unit, built by Creusot-Loire, was designed to meet the needs of the nitric acid and ammonium nitrate facilities and those of the phosphate fertiliser complex. The plant uses gas as feedstock and has the following facilities: an NH3 manufacturing centre with a capacity of 1,000 t/d and an aqua ammonia storage unit with a capacity of 20,000 t/d, with transport available for carrying the products to a marine terminal.

In May 1998, Sonatrach signed an agreement with Fertiberia of Spain to have three plants built in Arzew, Annaba and Djebel Onk to produce up to 500,000 t/y of phosphate fertilisers and ammonia. Holding Mines, which has shares in the state's fertiliser firm Asmidal and phosphate firm Ferphos, was to be a partner with Sonatrach in this - together holding 40% and Fertiberia having 60%. The JV was to invest about $500m.

Two ammonia trains of 610,500 t/y have been planned for either Arzew or Djen-Djen with start up planned for 2003 or 2004.

A 594,000 t/y urea plant is planned for Djen-Djen and should start up in 2002.