Port of Sohar has unveiled plans for the establishment of a major bulk terminal dedicated to the handling of food grains, agro commodities, sugar and other food-related bulk cargoes. The proposed facility, which is due to come up alongside a berth currently occupied by Oman International Container Terminal ( OICT ), will be the latest addition to a growing array of terminals that will reinforce Sohar Port's reputation as a world-class multi-commodity maritime hub at the entrance to the Arabian Gulf.
Terminaling facilities currently available at the industrial port cater for a wide spectrum of cargoes, including shipping containers, general cargo, break-bulk, RO-RO, transshipment cargoes, aggregates and minerals, and bulk liquids. With the addition of an Agro-Bulk Terminal, Sohar Port will emerge as one of just a handful of gateways with truly multi-commodity handling capabilities in the region.
Significantly, the new Agro-Bulk Terminal is set to be a key component of the government's food security strategy, according to a high-level official of Port of Sohar. It will also help support the development of the country's first sugar refinery planned at the industrial port. "With a view to supporting the Omani government's food security strategy, Sohar Port is earmarking a prime waterfront stretch for the establishment of a dedicated Agro-Bulk Terminal to serve the objectives of the Public Authority for Strategic Food Reserves (PASFR)," said Edwin Lammers, Executive Commercial Manager, Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC).
"The terminal will be developed along the quay that will soon be vacated by Oman International Container Terminal ( OICT ) when a world-scale container terminal is fully operational at the northern end of the quay wall," he added. The new terminal is one of a raft of major infrastructure projects planned for implementation over the next 12-24 months as the industrial port seeks to maintain its pre-eminence as the nation's biggest maritime gateway.
Oman Daily Observer
27 January
