The port of Sohar in northern Oman reported a more than 58% rise in its container traffic last year, handling a total of 330,663 TEU.
Sohar benefitted from the start of several new services, the transfer of all containers from Mina Qaboos, which was closed as a cargo port during the year, and the ongoing expansion of the port’s industrial and free trade zones. Occupying 4,500 ha, the area is being developed in phases with the first 500ha almost fully utilised and the second tranche of land being planned. It will also cover 500ha. Moreover, its location outside of the Straits of Hormuz gives it opportunities in the regional transhipment business, a sector that the port’s management is keen to exploit.
To help support this initiative, the Oman International Container Terminal, which is managed by Hutchison Port Holdings, has been moved to an area of the port that has deeper water. The US$130M relocation and redevelopment project also meant a doubling in the berth length, an increase in the yard area from 28ha to 68ha hectares, the installation of three more post panamax STS cranes and phasing in of 14 more RTGs. The old box-handling facility has been redesigned to handle agri-bulks.
In 2017, work will start on raising Sohar’s box throughput to 4M TEU a year, which will be a substantial increase on the estimated 1.5M TEU that exists currently.
Sohar also registered a strong performance in other cargo sectors last year, breakbulk cargo increasing from just below 890,000t in 2013 to 1.4Mt and automobile traffic almost doubling to 199,000 units.
Source: OICT website
Source: OICT website