As Oman celebrated its 42nd Renaissance anniversary, Port of Sohar welcomed its 1,000th vessel of the year
The 9,000 metric tonne MV Maria, owned and operated by SAL Heavy Lift GmbH, berthed at the container terminal C Steinweg Oman (CSO). On board was a 300-tonne gas turbine due for installation at a new power plant under construction in the Batinah area.
The arrival of the 1,000th vessel this early augurs well for a significant increase in ship calls during 2012. When compared with figures for 2011, Port of Sohar received its 1,000th vessel in September of the year, notching up a tally of 1,474 calls by year’s end.
The CSO Terminal handles industrial project cargo, among which many heavy lifts, a variety of break-bulk cargos (aluminium ingots and sows, steel billets, steel coils, steel pipes and tubulars, steel plates, and so on), dry-bulk and RO-RO cargo.
Port of Sohar is one of the largest port development projects in the world with investments exceeding $14 billion. It is a deep sea port with a draft of 18 metres. A 50/50 joint venture between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Port of Rotterdam, the port is managed by Sohar Industrial Port Company SAOC (SIPC).