Pilot production begins at Algeria-Turkey textile factory

The Algerian Ministry of Industry and Mines announced yesterday the beginning of a one month pilot production phase at the country’s largest textile factory in a joint venture with Turkey.

The ministry said in a statement that the factory began work on Thursday at a production rate of 20 tonnes per day and will produce textile yarn during this period.

The factory’s working system will gradually move to three teams per day (8 hours per team) with a production capacity of 20 tonnes per team or 60 tonnes per day.

The factory will be built over an area of ​​250 hectares in Sidi Khattab, in the north western province of Relizane, and includes eight units which will produce various types of textiles under the project’s first phase.

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According to the ministry statement the second phase of the project will include 10 factories that will produce ready-made garments, industrial fibres, denim, and knitted and woven fabrics.

The Algerian joint venture called Tayal owns 51 per cent of the project divided between the Algerian public enterprises Apparel and Clothing, which own 30 per cent of the project, and Texalg, which owns 21 per cent. The remaining 49 per cent is owned by the Turkish company, Intertay, a subsidiary of the Turkish group Taypa.

The Algerian Minister of Industry and Mines, Youcef Yousfi, said earlier in January that 40 per cent of the production would meet domestic market needs and 60 per cent would be exported.