Sohar International Urea & Chemical Industries SAOC
Leading national private sector industry
T
HE SUCCESSFUL START UP OF SOHAR INTERNATIONAL Urea & Chemical Industries (SIUCI)’s Ammonia/Urea Fertilizer Complex during 2009 has entrenched Oman’s place amongst the leading suppliers of Urea in the world. The achievement is remarkable since the Sohar Fertiliser Project is not only one of the largest green field private sector fertilizer projects in the world but also one of the largest industrial investments by any individual within the GCC. The venture, promoted by prominent Omani businessman Sheikh Suhail Salim Bahwan, employs state-of-the-art technologies to produce 2000 metric ton per day (MTPD) of Ammonia and 3500 MTPD of Urea and is world class in terms of scale of production, environmental protection, safe practices and energy consumption. Ammonia is produced from the natural gas supplied by Oman Gas Company to the complex. The ammonia thus produced is reacted with carbon dioxide in the Urea plant to produce high quality Granular Urea. Urea is exported globally from the dedicated berth allocated to SIUCI at the Sohar Industrial Port. To preserve its high quality, Urea is transported to the berth through enclosed conveyors and loaded into the ship by a remote-controlled mechanized ship loader. During material handling and shipping operations, utmost care and hygiene practices are adopted to ensure the quality of urea loaded into the ship. The main markets for SIUCI Urea are the USA, India, Australia, Thailand, Latin America, South Africa and Pakistan. Within eighteen months of operation, SIUCI has established an excellent reputation as a producer of high quality urea. SIUCI Urea is recognized by discerning buyers all over the world, thereby creating a strong demand for SIUCI’s product.
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PORT OF SOHAR 2011
Urea is the most widely used nitrogenous fertiliser as it contains 46% Nitrogen by weight, which is the highest proportion among solid nitrogenous fertilisers. Urea is the main fertiliser input for growing various crops such as rice, wheat, corn, pulses and vegetables. Urea is also used in the manufacturing of chemicals such as melamine, urea formaldehyde chemical, adhesives and resins. The urea formaldehyde unit located in Sohar Industrial Port area uses SIUCI urea for its production. A number of important socio-economic benefits are the outcome of SIUCI’s project, the foremost being SIUCI’s contribution to the strategic national objective of industrial diversification by reducing the Nation’s dependence on oil revenues. Considerable foreign exchange earnings are generated from export of Urea. Further, with the projected growth in Sohar Industrial Port area and surrounding infrastructure, there is good opportunity for development of downstream industries. Employment generation for Nationals is another significant outcome of this project. Right from the beginning, SIUCI has been committed towards the development of technical skills of young Omanis. About 70 young technically qualified Nationals have been inducted since 2006 as technical trainees and after two years of extensive training including at the project site, they are contributing significantly in various functions such as the operation and maintenance of the Ammonia plant, Urea plant, Utilities and Product Handling as well as in the Laboratory, Technical Services and Materials Management. In addition to these technically qualified nationals, nearly 100 more nationals have been recruited in various non-technical functions.