Sohar Port in Oman is planning to introduce bunkering services from mid-September and hence signed an agreement with Hormuz Marine, media reports said. The bunkering services will help the port deal with the increasing demand for offshore refuelling, enabling ships to bunker efficiently and accelerate global shipping times at the port.
In this regard, Sohar Port and Freezone harbour master Batti Al Shibli told the media, “We are delighted to welcome Hormuz Marine to the Port of Sohar. Their expertise in providing an essential service will be vital to our future growth as we look to attract more vessels taking marine services and increase the cargo traffic visiting Sohar.
“Bunker quality is essential to maintaining efficiency and enabling vessels to meet regulations and tight timeframes. The new service is an incredibly valuable addition to the Port’s one-stop-shop marine services available to all visiting ships.”
Last month, it was reported that Oman’s Salalah Port handled 2.1 million containers during the first half of 2021. The port also handled 8.8 million general cargo goods during that period.
Mohammed Oufait Al-Shanfari, Executive Manager of Salalah Port Company, told the media that despite challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic, the port had achieved positive growth in 2020. It made the largest volume of container handling ever a record hit of 4.3 million containers, compared to 4.1 million in 2019.
The ports in the Sultanate also achieved growth in several commercial operations and volumes of direct import during the same period.