Chad and Algeria officially broke ground on Monday in N’Djamena for a 40-megawatt power plant entirely financed by Algiers. The cornerstone ceremony brought together Chad’s Prime Minister Allah-Maye Halina and his Algerian counterpart Sifi Ghrieb. Dubbed the “Algerian-Chadian Solidarity Power Plant,” the facility will be built by Sonelgaz International, a subsidiary of Algeria’s state-owned electricity and gas group. The project aims to boost Chad’s electricity generation capacity, which is currently strained by demand exceeding supply.

Sifi Ghrieb arrived in N’Djamena with a delegation including ministers, senior officials, and executives from companies active in energy, hydrocarbons, and infrastructure. Among them were Mohamed Arkab, Minister of Hydrocarbons, and Mourad Adjal, Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies, along with representatives from several Algerian state enterprises. In a statement, Algerian authorities described the plant as a gesture of cooperation ordered by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to strengthen bilateral ties with N’Djamena.

After the ceremony, Sifi Ghrieb emphasised a cooperation model based on tangible projects. He said the power plant reflects Algeria’s belief that effective African cooperation can generate shared development through concrete initiatives with direct impact on communities. The Algerian prime minister also highlighted “active solidarity, productive investments, and wealth-creating partnerships in service of the people.” Energy is becoming a key pillar of Algeria’s economic presence in the Sahel. On June 3, Algiers had already inaugurated a power plant of the same capacity in Niger, also built by Sonelgaz International.

Discussions between the two delegations also covered several continental projects, including the trans-Saharan highway, fibre-optic networks, and air and logistics links aimed at improving regional trade connections. On security matters, Algiers and N’Djamena reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening diplomatic coordination on Sahelian and African issues, with an emphasis on African solutions and respect for state sovereignty.

Since establishing its International Cooperation Agency for Solidarity and Development in 2020, with an announced budget of one billion dollars, Algeria has multiplied its funding of infrastructure, energy projects, and economic initiatives across several African countries.