Mr Musab bin Abdullah Al Mahrouqi CEO of Oman Refineries Petrochemical Industries Company as saying that the Tender Board has awarded a contract to Alstom for reducing the emissions of the breaking units at Sohar refinery. The project which costs OMR 7.3 million will be implemented within eight months.

He pointed out that the company allocated OMR 23 million worth investment plan for the environmental improvement. The plan will be implemented in a number of stages by 11 local and international companies. The environmental improvement plan initiated by ORPIC in 2011 aims at limiting the emissions of offensive smell resulting from Sohar Refinery operations one of the main challenges facing the company now.

The company has sought international expertise in improving the performance of the refinery's units, especially the water treatment plant. ORPIC is currently trying to cover all the water treatment plant basins that emit the gases that affect the nearby population.

Mr Al Mahrouqi stressed that the efforts made by the company to expedite the implementation of the environmental improvement plan and limit the negative impact of the Refinery and its subsidiary units' operations.

He hailed the efforts made by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs in providing the technical support to the company, in addition to the environmental monitoring operation to ensure compliance of the ministry's environmental requirements for petrochemical refineries industry.

He pointed out that the aims and plans set by the company are constantly followed up by the ministry to ensure improvement of operations at Sohar Refinery by adhering to the internationally recognized environmental standards.

He added that one of the basic requirements and aims included in Sohar Refinery expansion project which will be tendered soon, is to improve the performance of the current refinery units by introducing modern technologies that limit the negative emissions. He said that the detailed study of the Sohar Refinery expansion project is currently under technical study by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs.

Source - Times of Oman

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