Oman’s Sohar Port & Freezone has invited firms to prequalify by 25 October for the consultancy and front-end engineering and design (feed) contract for the Sohar Port South development.

The scope of work includes preparing the feed and tender documents for dredging, reclamation, shore protection, jetties, storm water drainage solutions, and the demolition of the old jetty at Sohar Port.

The planned expansion will increase the freezone's 2,000-hectare land area by 10 per cent.

MEED earlier reported that Sohar Port & Freezone expects to award the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for infrastructure works that cover a similar scope excluding the jetty developments by end of October.  This tender was issued in 2017.

MEED understands the reclaimed land at Sohar Port South will house a bunkering terminal, which Singapore-based Trescorp intends to start constructing next year.

The planned facility, which has a budget of $600m, will feature six deep-water berths with 25 metre drafts. One of the six berths will be equipped to receive very large crude carrier (VLCC) oil tankers with a capacity of up to 320,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT).

In September, India’s ShriVallabh Pittie Group (SVP) signed a land lease agreement with Sohar Port & Freezone in order to establish a $300m plant to manufacture a wide range of cotton yarn products.

The facility is expected to start commercial operations by 2019 and will create an estimated 1,500 jobs.

Sohar Port & Freezone is located next to a deep sea port managed by Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC), a 50:50 joint venture between the Port of Rotterdam and the Omani government.