Sohar Aluminium showcases world class facility to Arabal delegates
MUSCAT: Concluding this year’s three-day Arab International Aluminium Conference and Exhibition (Arabal), 200 delegates toured Sohar Aluminium’s facilities to get a first-hand look at the company’s ever growing production capacity, cutting-edge technology, environmental stewardship, and rigorous safety standards. Sohar Aluminium is Oman’s first greenfield smelter and the fourth largest primary aluminium manufacturer in the Middle East and North Africa.
Sohar Aluminium has reinforced its position as the leader of Oman’s metals and expanding industrial sector, attracting international investment to the Sultanate and successfully trading across the globe. Delegates praised the high level of transparency demonstrated by a team of experts from Sohar Aluminium who explained each stage of the aluminium reduction, anode manufacturing, extrusion processes, as well as the casting and power generation procedures applied at the facilities in addition to the company’s advanced occupational and environmental, health and stringent safety measures.
AP39 technology
The plant operates under the world-leading ‘AP39’ technology capable of producing 375,000 tonnes of primary aluminium per annum. 60 per cent of its production is earmarked for consumption by local downstream industries while 40 per cent is exported globally. In addition, Sohar Aluminium has its own dedicated Power Plant with a total design capacity of 1,000 MW and also operates a dedicated port facility at the Port of Sohar supporting vessels with a capacity of up to 75,000 tonnes for receiving raw materials and for exporting primary aluminium.
“We are committed to demonstrating excellence and efficiency in our operations and remain resolutely accountable to our entire stakeholder community,” said Said Al Masoudi, chief executive officer of Sohar Aluminium. “Since inception, we have celebrated a number of resounding milestones and record-breaking achievements. We have been able to cement our position as the leader of Oman’s expanding metal and industrial sector. Our achievements are derived from the extraordinary efforts of our team, as well as our unwavering commitment to the six pillars on which we were founded on which include environment, health and safety, people, productivity, financial strength, corporate citizenship, and customers.”
“As we strive to continue contributing to the nation’s long-term prosperity, Sohar Aluminium is proud to be a catalyst for the crea- tion of new and diversified opportunities, an engine for the generation of employment, and a stimulus for the creation of new business. Our growth has been empowering a generation of professionals and innovators who will continue to elevate our industry for years to come,” added Al Masoudi.
Aluminium industry
The 21st edition of Arabal has been an opportunity to realise the strength of Oman’s aluminium industry and the potential of its human capital. Guided by the theme ‘Driving Strategic Growth Across the Global Aluminium Industry’, the integrated program of panel discussions featured more than 60 renowned speakers and expert analysts who shared key insights on the current global economic climate along with market challenges and opportunities as new supply and demand centres emerge in addition to potential use of renewable energy sources, warehousing, and innovation in aluminium.
Arabal 2017 succeeded in bringing together industry leaders and world experts from a cross-section of industries to discuss the future of aluminium, its challenges and opportunities.
Siddiqa Al Lawati, Project Development Analyst at GlassPoint Solar, commented: “In presenting such a wide variety of topics and world-class speakers, this meeting of ideas will add massive value to our economies by going beyond hypothetical scenarios and sharing tangible outcomes.”
This year’s edition also included an exhibition that featured a prestigious line-up of 43 firms.