Port of Sohar

Poort of Sohar:

Port of Sohar is a rapidly expanding industrial port in the Sultanate of Oman, situated 240 km northwest of Oman’s capital Muscat. The port area of approximately 20 km2 currently features fully operational businesses along large scale construction activities. Investments in industries, infrastructure and utilities amount to $ 12 billion (2002-2008), a figure that will rise as more and more investors discover Sohar. In two years’ time the Port of Sohar will house three fully developed clusters: a petrochemical cluster, a metal cluster and a logistics cluster. The management of the industrial port is undertaken by Sohar Industrial Port Company, a 50/50 joint venture between Oman’s government and the Port of Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Sohar is being transformed into a thriving maritime and industrial hub. The project is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It forms a new chapter for a city with a rich maritime history. With all the industries running, the Port of Sohar will employ approximately 8,000 people directly and around 30,000 people indirectly.

History Port of Sohar:

Sohar can look back on a history as a vibrant maritime and commercial centre. Already in the third millennium BC, its port was famous for its copper and diorite export. Later in history, at the end of the 8th century, merchant sailors from Sohar served as models for Sindbad the Sailor. After being totally destroyed by the Buyids, from present day Iran, in the 10th century AD, it took the city many generations to recover. In the 19th century Sohar experienced its second Golden Age. The rule of Sayyid Said bin Sultan (1804-1856), ancestor of His Majesty Qaboos bin Said, brought the Port of Sohar to unprecedented prosperity. But this glory also faded away. It seems that Sohar is now well under way for its Third Golden Age.

Maritime Dimension:

The Port of Sohar is developing into a world class port, capable of receiving ships up to 16.5 m draught (18 m in 2008), handling all types of cargo, well connected to its hinterland by highly efficient logistics. The stevedoring company Steinweg started a general cargo and dry bulk terminal in April 2004. The liquid bulk terminal is operated by Oiltanking Odfjell; it received its first tanker in June 2006. Containers are handled by Oman International Container Terminal (OICT). The container terminal has Hutchison Port Holdings as its principal shareholder. OICT has begun operations on the 1st of December 2006. Maritime services like towage are done by Svitzer Sohar. Striving to be a ‘paperless port’, the Port of Sohar allows visiting ships to use a web-based vessel notification system. In 2006 the port received 335 vessels: general cargo ships, dry bulk carriers and liquid tankers. This figure is expected to rise steeply to some 600 in 2007 and well over 1000 in 2008.

Utilities and services:

The petrochemical cluster uses oil and gas as its sources of energy, the metal cluster is gas based. Crude oil is supplied by a 250 kilometer oil pipeline from Mina Al Fahal, near Muscat, by Oman Oil Company. Natural Gas is transported from Fahud, situated in the interior of Oman, by a 350 kilometer gas pipeline owned by Oman Gas Company. Electric power is supplied by Sohar Power Company. The present capacity of 360 MW will in the near future be expanded to 540 MW. Air Liquide Sohar Industrial Gases supplies nitrogen to the refinery and polypropylene plant. Potable water is provided by Majees Industrial Services Company (MISC). MISC also takes responsibility for the supply of several water-related services. Telecommunications are delivered by Omantel (fixed lines), Oman Mobile (GSM) and Nawras (GSM).