Steel Industry: Somasteel Inaugurates the Expansion of Its Production Site in Nouaceur
Somasteel, a company specializing in the hot rolling of low-carbon steel for the production of reinforcing bars, inaugurated on Monday in Nouaceur the extension of its production site, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour.
This expansion includes the installation of a modern electric steelmaking plant, backed by an investment of 760 million dirhams. It will enable the company to reach a projected annual capacity of 400,000 tonnes of billets, while tripling direct employment from 250 to 850 jobs and creating nearly 1,800 indirect jobs, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of the region.
This investment will complete the company’s production chain by integrating the entire industrial process, from scrap metal recovery to the production of reinforcing steel bars. It is fully aligned with the strategic orientations aimed at strengthening industrial sovereignty and promoting Made in Morocco.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Mezzour welcomed the inauguration and praised the efforts of Somasteel and all stakeholders in the sector in developing Made in Morocco products and promoting competitive import substitution. He added:
“We want to maintain this momentum and further strengthen the competitiveness of the sector by continuously improving quality and productivity, more effectively integrating local value chains, and accelerating the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies.”
For his part, Somasteel’s Chief Executive Officer, Khalid Machrah, stressed that the inauguration of this new extension marks a structuring milestone in the development of the company’s industrial site and fits into a logic of vertical integration, enabling the production of billets, the essential raw material for reinforcing steel. He also noted that this is an industrial facility designed, installed, and commissioned using 100 percent Moroccan expertise.
The Somasteel project illustrates the importance of the Mechanical and Metallurgical Industries sector, a true engine of Morocco’s economic transformation. The sector brings together more than 1,987 companies, representing 17 percent of industrial enterprises, employs more than 75,479 people, and generates turnover exceeding 84.7 billion dirhams, including more than 7.7 billion dirhams in exports for the year 2024. It is the fourth largest contributor to national industry, with productivity of 202,000 dirhams per job, reflecting the sustained performance of human capital in this sector.
Editorial team/le7tv
