New projects to reduce Oman’s dependence on cement imports
Four new ventures to add 5 million tonnes of cement capacity in Duqm
The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Duqm has been tipped to host a string of new cement mills which, along with a sizable investment planned in Suhar, is set to ramp up Oman’s cement production capacity exponentially.
Driving the strategy to upscale the Sultanate’s aggregate capacity for the production of cement — a strategically important commodity — is the Implementation Support & Follow-up (ISFU) Unit, a task force set up under the auspices of the Diwan of Royal Court to oversee the timely execution of a number of initiatives designed to spur the nation’s economic diversification.
The goal, according to the ISFU Unit, is to bridge the gap between cement consumption and domestic production capacity — a gulf that is presently addressed by substantial imports. “The aim of the initiative is to increase the local production of cement.
The outlook for the Sultanate for the growth of this industry remains positive as the government has been rolling out infrastructure projects as part of its economic development plans. Moreover, Oman is rich in minerals needed for the cement industry such as limestone and gypsum,” the Unit said in its newly published Annual Report 2017.”
According to the report, the Sultanate “witnessed a gap between the consumption and demand for cement” since 2006.
“Of the total demand of 9 million metric tonnes (MT) of cement in 2015, 54 per cent was met through imports, and the remainder 46 per cent was produced from the local plants. The initiative intends to ensure that the country produces its own cement and reduces the reliance on cement imports.”