Oman is set to commence its first-ever sugar refinery at Sohar Port and Freezone, marking the country’s efforts to produce commercial white sugar domestically and reduce its reliance on sugar imports. The state-of-the-art facility, being prepared for commissioning by German technology provider BMA, is nearing the final stages before full production begins, reported Oman Daily Observer.
“Right now, a team of BMA engineers and technicians is on site to support the commissioning of the Oman Sugar Refinery. The project started in 2021, and we are now on the finish line. It’s great to see this project nearing completion!” BMA, based in Brunswick, commented in a post.
The primary investor in the Oman Sugar Refinery is Nasser bin Ali Al Hosni, an Omani entrepreneur who also owns sugar factories in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once fully operational, the Sohar refinery will produce 3,000 tonnes of refined white sugar per day.
To prepare for the refinery’s opening, the first shipment of raw sugar, approximately 90,000 tonnes, arrived from Brazil in August.
BMA has been involved with the project since 2019, initially handling the basic engineering and some detailed engineering. In May 2021, the company secured a contract to supply key equipment and supervise the assembly and commissioning of the refinery. This included machinery for juice purification, batch pans, vertical vacuum pans, evaporators, centrifugals, pumps, slurry mills, drying and cooling systems, and both the software and hardware for automation.
The refinery is designed with a focus on low energy consumption, high sugar yield, and efficient operation while adhering to stringent environmental regulations. BMA emphasized that the entire project, particularly its process engineering, meets high-quality standards.
