Suhar Cement to add new grinding capacity

Suhar Cement is expected to start its new cement grinding operation later this year. The new facility, featuring a cement mill with a capacity of around 240tph. The project is being developed as partnership with Sohar Cement (holding 70 per cent of the equity) and UAE-based Fujairah Cement Co (owning the balance 30 per cent of the equity) at Suhar Industrial Estate in northeastern Oman.

This would be Oman's third cement mill after Oman Cement and Raysut Cement. The new Suhar cement plant, along with a flurry of new cement projects planned in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Duqm, is part of Oman's plans to ramp up domestic cement production cement by 2021.

The Suhar plant has been delayed by the absence of a paved road to provide suitable access to the site and by a lack of power availability to the site.

Another cement project in Oman
Al Wusta Cement Co LLC a joint venture company of Oman Cement Co and Raysut Cement Co is planning to build cement plant in Duqm, Oman. The plant's current capacity would be 5000tpd of cement, which is expected to be increased. Consultants have already submitted a draft of their feasibility study into the project.

According to last year report of the National Program for Enhancing Economic Diversification (TANFEEDH), it has been planned to increase the local production of cement by setting two new gray cement plants, a white cement plant and two cement grinding facilities.

Increasing the local production of cement
Currently, the Oman is dependent on imports for just over half of its cement demand – a trend that is expected to be reversed with the mega investments planned in Duqm and Suhar, according to experts.

Cement consumption in the Oman has increased from 2.7Mt in 2006 to 9Mt in 2015, with 54 per cent of local consumption being imported from the UAE. As for the other 46 per cent, it is produced by local Omani companies such as Oman Cement LLC (23 per cent), Raysut and Al Madinah (21 per cent).