Port of Sohar facility opens for business ahead of schedule
MUSCAT -- Oman International Container Terminal (OICT), a joint venture between the Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Group, the Government of Oman, Steinweg of the Netherlands, and three other well-established Omani investors, has commenced operations ahead of schedule, transforming the former greenfield site into a world-class container handling facility.
Phase 1 civil works, which began on April 1, 2006 were completed in record time to commence operations September 1, 2006. OICT Phase 1 includes a quay length of 285 metres with a depth alongside of 16 metres and is equipped with four Post-Panamax quay cranes, eight rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGCs) and two reach-stackers supported by a fleet of 15 tractors and 33 trailers.
OICT Phase 2 is progressing rapidly and is also expected to commence operations well ahead of schedule in February 2007. When complete, OICT will have a total quay length of 520 metres and a total of yard area of 28 hectares. OICT facilities include a gatehouse complex, engineering workshop, a customs inspection area and an administrative building.
Commenting on the development of OICT, James Frater, CEO, stated, "The terminal is committed to supporting the divergent needs of the various industries present in the Port of Sohar and the Sohar Industrial Estate, through the delivery of timely logistics solutions." He added: "OICT has adopted the HPH Group's award winning Next Generation Terminal Management System (nGen), to ensure the highest level of efficiency as expected from a HPH port. The system will enable OICT to rapidly establish itself as the premier container terminal in the Gulf region."
Strategically located outside the Strait of Hormuz, OICT allows vessels to avoid the higher premiums associated once inside Gulf waters, thus potentially reducing shippers' costs. Furthermore, OICT's ability to deliver a swift and efficient service to the growing number of mega-vessels strengthens its port of choice reputation amongst the world's top shipping lines.
Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL), is the world's leading port investor, developer and operator with interests in 21 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Today HPH operates a total of 251 berths in 43 ports together with a number of transportation related service companies. With industry recognized core competence in the effective and efficient management and operation of ports, the HPH Group handled 51.8 million TEU in 2005.
By Staff Reporter
© Oman Daily Observer 2006
