Tuesday 25 February 2025 
BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- The Director of Economic Regulation at the Hydrocarbons Regulatory Authority (ARH), Samir Houghlaouene reported the entry into service of 30 service stations during the current year, reaching a total of 2,580 stations throughout the national territory.
In an interview with APS, Houghlaouene noted that the ARH processed 585 authorization requests for the exercise of petroleum product storage and distribution activities as well as the creation of manufacturing, lubricant storage and oil regeneration units in 2022.
Of these requests, the ARH responded favorably to 290 ones, including 47 authorizations granted to projects in the field of manufacture and wholesale distribution of lubricants and regeneration of used oils (19 final authorizations and 28 others provisional).
He also added that the ARH had issued 242 authorizations for the exercise of storage and distribution activities of petroleum products, including 134 final authorizations.
With regard to the distribution of fuels, the Authority recorded in 2022 some 108 authorizations for this activity, including 30 definitive and 78 provisional, according to the same official.
Mr. Houghlaouene also affirmed that the study and the granting of these authorizations are done in accordance with the National Plan for the Development of Infrastructure for the Refining and Processing of Hydrocarbons drawn up by a specialized sectoral commission.