The Sider El Hadjar complex in Annaba, Algeria resumed operations on June 15 after suspending operations for three months as part of the government’s measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.
According to local media reports, the company recalled two-thirds or 4,000 of the 6,000 strong workforce after restarting operations. Moreover, the complex has established internal processes to support social distancing measures and monitor employees’ health closely.
Sider El Hadjar has the capacity to produce 2,500mt of steel per day. According to the company’s website, annual production capacity of the complex stands at 1.2mn mt. The facility includes a hot rolling mill, a cold rolling mill, a galvanization unit and a round rebar rolling mill. The complex also has a maritime facility linked to the rail network, which facilitates inbound raw materials and shipments of finished products.
The Algerian government established emergency measures to safeguard the El Hadjar complex on September 2019. They included financial support along with arranging guarantees of regular supplies of raw materials with mines and logistics companies to avoid any disruptions in production. The company has been fully Algerian owned since ArcelorMittal Algeria transferred all its shares in the company to Algeria’s public sector enterprise IMETAL group on August 2016.