Sohar Inaugurates Aluminium Busbar Project

Takamul Investments, a subsidiary of Oman Oil Company , and Salzburg AG of Austria celebrated the opening of Salzburg Aluminium Sohar LLC (SAG Sohar) under the auspices of Sultan bin Salim al Habsi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. The $12.5 million plant, located in the Sohar Industrial Estate, will produce aluminium busbars. SAG Sohar is the first joint investment venture of Takamul Investments, said Nabil bin Abdullah al Ghassani, CEO of Takamul Investments. And Takamul holds 30% stake in SAG Sohar, the rest is owned by Salzburg Aluminium, operations at the plant have commenced, Al Ghassani said in his opening address. The factory’s annual output is estimated at 25,000 tonnes, to be used during the construction phase of aluminium smelters, he added, noting that SAG Sohar will meet part of the regional and global demand for aluminium busbars. The palnt will take advantage of hot aluminium metal from the nearby Sohar Aluminium smelter to produce busbars, said Al Ghassani, adding that citizens from the region will benefit from job opportunities created by the project. Josef Woehrer, Chairman and CEO of Salzburg Aluminium, attributed the plant’s location in Sohar to the high quality industrial infrastructure in the area, as well as to the modern services provided by Sohar Port. The nearby Sohar Aluminium, and the existence of a market for busbars in the region, made possible the establishment of SAG Sohar, he added. The CEO also noted that the project, taking up an area of 60,000 sq mt, introduces state-of-the-art technology and equipment. The Wali of Sohar and officials from Sohar Industrial Estate also attended the opening.