The Omani government has awarded a $57 million joint venture contract to Turkey’s STFA Construction Company and local Bahwan Contracting to build a cooling plant at the Sohar Industrial Port. The project has a target date of completion set for the end of 2004.
Major industries in the zone such as the Sohar Refinery, fertilizer and methanol plants will require cooling water for operational purposes. The deal commissions the construction of a seawater pumping station from where industries will be able to pump up to a total of 334,000 cubic meters an hour of seawater. The station will screen and chlorinate the seawater before it is delivered to factories in the region.
Using seawater to cool buildings is popularly used in Sweden, but the STFA and Bahwan venture will be the first to use this natural resource in Oman. With chilled water supplied from a central plant through a network of pipes to multiple buildings, companies can save on their energy expenses by slashing their use of traditional air conditioning.
Established in 1938, STFA is involved in the construction of dams, roads, bridges, tunnels and marine structures. In the early 1970's STFA became the first Turkish contractor to win contracts in Libya, where five major harbors and many other civil projects were constructed. The company has also won contracts in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Tunisia. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
