Construction work on the world’s largest PET producing site remains on target as Octal Petrochemicals’ third and fourth manufacturing facilities begin to take shape over 10 hectares in the Salalah Free Zone.

The $200 million expansion will position the sultanate as a world-class producer of PET resin and sheet that will cater to the European, American and Asian markets which Octal currently serves.

The manufacturing plant comprising two production lines with a capacity of 750 tonnes per day, employs the latest cutting-edge PET technology. Scheduled for completion in May 2012, a record timeline for a project of this magnitude, the plant will add an additional 527,000 tonnes per year (tpy) of PET bottle grade resin to Octal’s current production capacity to reach 927,000 tpy, making it the largest in the world on one site.

“This is no ordinary undertaking. We are able to harness our strategic location and favourable trading regulations with our unique manufacturing capabilities to meet the breadth and depth of customer demand by supplying uniform high-quality product at exceptionally competitive rates with minimal environmental impact,” said Octal’s chairman Sheikh Saad Suhail Bahwan. “Additional volumes of resin production will spur the growth of the packaging industry and will encourage markets to migrate from less efficient materials to PET as the preferred clear rigid polymer.”

He added: “We are a home-grown company that is committed to the advancement of this nation. The total investment of $1.5 billion will establish Octal as the recognised leader in PET and the industry reference for superior product quality and performance. This will not only place Oman on the world map as a manufacturing and distribution haven but also realise the vision set by His Majesty for a sustainable and diversified economy.”

Bahwan explained that PET is becoming the unanimous choice for reliable, clear rigid packaging with a wide range of applications for foods, liquids, consumer and industrial products. In less than two decades, global PET bottle sales have dramatically increased from one million tons to more than fifteen million tons.

The plant was built in accordance with British safety standards which have been approved by local regulators and government authorities and has been designed to yield the lowest carbon footprint products. Through the application of pioneering technologies, Octal has already set new global benchmarks for both product and environmental excellence and currently uses 67 per cent less electricity to manufacture DPET sheet and 38 per cent less energy for resin. In addition, 80 per cent of water used in the purpose-designed production facility is reused and all of Octal’s energy needs are derived from clean burning natural gas with its on-site high efficiency burners consuming up to 20 per cent less gas than traditional PET plants. The integrated facility also has the ability to recycle trim waste during the manufacturing process and offers customers various recycling options.

To date, a total of 550,000 man-hours have been successfully completed without any lost-time-injury (LTI) which is a testament to the company’s stringent health, safety and environment practices, the company said. – TradeArabia News Service