RO100m more for Sohar Port
For the next phase of Sohar port’s expansion, the Government has earmarked an investment of RO 100 million

The Omani Government has embarked on the next phase of Sohar Port's expansion aimed at meeting the needs of industrial tenants and service providers who have set up operations at the industrial port. Envisaged in this phase, the third in Sohar Port's ongoing development plan, is the construction of additional marine facilities, including a number of industrial and container berths which require further dredging and reclamation works. The total investment in this phase is estimated at around RO100 million.

Eleven major international and local construction firms are in the race for this prestigious contract. Competing for the job are Consolidated Contractors Company, Boskalis Westminster (ME), STFA, Hani Archirodon, Six Construct, Athena SA, Hyundai, Dredging Corporation of India with Galfar, Van Oord FZE, Larsen & Toubro (Oman) with Dredging International, and Interbeton & Co. A contract award is expected soon.

User Facilities
User facilities for a number of industrial ventures under development at the port will be set up in this phase of Sohar Port's development. The existing quay wall will be extended by a further 1.9 km to allow for several dedicated berths to be established. A 300-metre section of the new quay wall will be earmarked for Shadeed Iron & Steel, which is developing Oman's first steel plant at a cost of $700 million. Provision will be made for the allocation of a further 300-metre length when the second phase of the plant is operational.

Sohar Aluminium Company, which is investing $2.4 billion in a greenfield smelter and captive power plant, will be allotted a similar 300-metre of quay for unloading raw materials and loading finished products. A further 1 km section of the new quay wall, providing three berths, has been earmarked for the development of the Oman International Container Terminal (OICT), which is a joint venture of Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), the Government of Oman, Steinweg, and other Omani investors.

Dredging and Reclamation
Dredging and reclamation works constitute a key component of the Sohar Port Phase 3 expansion package. The harbor basin will be deepened from the present 16 metres to 18 metres to allow for the largest container, cargo and liquid carriers to call at the industrial port. The approach channel will be further dredged to 18.5 metres, from the present depth of 16.5 metres. Deep drafts of up to 19 metres (chart datum) are also envisioned at the berths earmarked for Shadeed Iron & Steel.

Significantly, the huge volumes of dredged material will be utilised to reclaim land which will go towards the creation of a Future Container Terminal planned along the inside face of the northern breakwater. Part of the dredged material will also be used for beach replenishment purposes to the north and south of the port.

Beach replenishment has many benefits. It will not only prevent future erosion along this section of the seafront, but also protect the service corridors running alongside the sea. It will help create new swathes of land for future projects and facilities. Also, by ensuring a suitable gradient to the replenished beachfront, the potential for carriage of sand and silt into the harbour area can be prevented as well. In all, some 21 million cubic metres of material is expected to be dredged as part of the Phase 3 expansion of Sohar Industrial Port.

Execution of the Phase 3 components has been planned in sync with the construction timeframes of Shadeed Iron & Steel, Sohar Aluminium and the Oman International Container Terminal, among other ventures, currently under development at the port. Overall completion of the Phase 3 is slated for mid-2008.