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World’s first self-sustaining cluster in Suhar in Oman

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By Conrad Prabhu — MUSCAT: March 5 - Sohar Port and Freezone is firming up plans for the establishment of the world’s first self-sustaining freezone cluster — an ambitious facility that will serve as a hub for innovation at the industrial port. The proposed Sohar Innovation Zone will create its own energy from renewable resources, recycle its own waste, and will serve as an incubator for initiatives designed to bolster the efficiency of the port’s existing tenants, a top executive explained. “We will be looking to create more synergies between our Port and Freezone and especially developing the Freezone as a hub for innovation,” said Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO — Sohar Port and Freezone.


“This will include a scheme that aims to create better use of resources between the Port and Freezone’s existing tenants and those looking to setup business. For example, where one company produces steam as a waste product, another may actually need steam for its own industrial processes. By improving the level of connectedness between our tenants’ businesses we can help them grow more efficiently with more synergies, and a very positive environmental upside for all of us,” he stated.


Significantly, the Port of Rotterdam — Europe’s largest maritime hub and a 50 per cent partner in the Port of Sohar joint venture — will play a supportive in the conceptualisation and development of the facility.


“The Port and Freezone wants to operate the Innovation Zone as an ideas factory,” said Geilenkirchen.


“Working in close cooperation with the Port of Rotterdam, it will try to find innovative ways to solve tomorrow’s logistical problems. Together with private sector companies, international research institutes and some of the world’s top universities, we are seeking solutions across a broad range of issues that affect our shipping, logistics and industrial hub at Sohar Port and Freezone.”


Sustainability will be a key theme of the futuristic project. A solar park will cater to the power needs of various commercial, manufacturing and logistics businesses operating at the hub.  Likewise, treated water is proposed to be used for aqua-farming, but before it exits the fish farm, the water will be used for cooling the office complex, thereby alleviating power usage and environmental impacts.


“From innovative ways to track containers and their loads moving between our Port and Freezone; through the use of 3D metal printing to create high quality industrial parts onsite; to the world’s first self-sustaining Freezone logistics cluster, at Sohar we firmly believe that everything is possible,” the CEO said.


The Innovation Zone is not a hypothetical, futuristic concept, however. It will use proven and trustworthy techniques brought together in one integrated system for the first time, to demonstrate the full potential of Oman’s technology sector, he stressed.


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