The new 70-hectare Oman International Container Terminal will ensure capacity growth of 800,000 to 1.5m teu. Construction of the terminal is expected to start in the first months of 2013 with a soft opening towards the end of the year.
Three post-panamax cranes will be added this year and an additional four are expected in the early 2014. Over OMR50m is being invested in the expansion with the port capable of handling vessels of 10-11,000 teu in capacity.
The expansion of the port is aimed to transform the port from a feeder destination to a mainline port of call. “With this increase of capacity, together with the cargoes that will be transferred from Muscat to Sohar throughout this year and the continued growth of Freezone Sohar, shipping lines will have the opportunity to skip these additional costs by calling Sohar directly,” said Andre Toet, ceo of Sohar Industrial Port Co.
“This costs advantage will eventually benefit the Omani supply chain; in short, the costs of imported goods could come down.”
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