OFCC’s newly expanded plant facility inaugurated
MUSCAT: The inauguration ceremony of Oman Formaldehyde Chemical Company’s (OFCC) new capacity expansion plant facility in the Sohar Industrial Port area was held on July 24, 2018.
The event was held under the auspices of chief guest Sheikh Doctor Ali bin Ahmed Al Shamsi, Wali of Sohar; top dignitaries from various ministries; top officials from Sohar Industrial Port Company; key stakeholders and special invitees.
The expansion of OFCC’s plant facility is in line with His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said’s vision for the prosperity of Sohar and its development as the most promising industrial hub and for the Sultanate and its people, and serves as a timely gift to the nation on its 48th anniversary of the launch of modern Omani Renaissance under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
Delivering the keynote address, Yatin Bane, CEO, OFCC, welcomed the chief guest and other dignitaries and said, “The entire OFCC team and I are very proud to be able to welcome you here today in celebration of this project, which is not only a testament to the vision and energy of all of the stakeholders involved but also a testament to the professionalism, energy, commitment and desire of every individual involved that has made this project a reality within 21 months from its inception and board approval.”
“And within a record 16 months from the execution of contracts to the delivery of the first batch of product, urea formaldehyde concentrate – 85, which, I am happy to report, passed full compliance and specification checks, is ready to be delivered to our highly valued clients both domestic and abroad,” he added.
OFCC is a joint venture company and is the only formaldehyde manufacturer in the Sultanate. The company was established in May 2005 and the first plant went into commercial production in April 2008.
The company is in the business of manufacturing urea formaldehyde concentrate - 85 (UFC-85) and aqueous formaldehyde – 37 (AF-37). The company caters to the requirement of domestic, as well as a wide range of international customers.
Located in Sohar, a port-city that has reinvented itself industrially in the recent years, OFCC is a proud part of the town’s economic growth and its increasing success as a global industrial hub. Its location in the Sohar Industrial Port area gives it the competitive advantage of availing of major raw materials within the port area, thus allowing it to cater to the growing needs of the market.
Since its inception, OFCC has left no stone unturned to surge ahead and honour the trust it has received worldwide. The plant has been charging ahead with 100 per cent sales since 2013 and a massive 118 per cent capacity utilisation since 2015. These figures have paved the way for expansion, in order to meet demand, with the best quality of production.
Speaking on the expansion while delivering his speech, Deputy Manager, Projects, Prasad, said, “The need for this project arose from the growing demand in the marketplace for UFC-85, which, as you all now know, is widely known as UFC-85 in the domestic and international markets.”
“Shareholders’ approval for the project was obtained in October 2016. Right from the beginning, the inauguration date for the ‘capacity expansion project’ was set for July 23, 2018, being an auspicious occasion, the Renaissance day of Oman. Keeping this in mind, the team focused on its very clear mission, which resulted in a Master Schedule that was prepared based on calculations, working backwards from July 23, 2018,” he added.
A short film on OFFC, the expansion project and its role in Sohar’s and the nation’s economic growth was also shown on the occasion. This was followed by the chief guest unveiling the plaque, taking a tour of the new plant and followed by lunch.