Sohar unit to manufacture 960 tonnes of scaffolding

Muscat: The construction of a scaffolding unit by Triangle Engineering has been completed in Sohar and is set to manufacture 960 tonnes of scaffolding equipment this year, a report has revealed.

Scaffoldings are temporary structures that are used to support work crew and materials in the construction and repair of structures.

The 2017 report by Implementation Support and Follow-up Unit (ISFU) said that setting up of the manufacturing unit would reduce Oman’s dependency on the import of scaffolding equipment, especially given the construction boom.

Observers have said that more diverse manufacturing units coming up are the manifestation of His Majesty’s vision of Tanfeedh or economic diversification and expansion.

“As a major boost to the industry, the plant was constructed, and the commissioning has been completed. Triangle Engineering was accepted by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) as the approved manufacturer of scaffolding products and it is in PDO’s vendors list," the report said.

“The project faced electricity connection challenges. However, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and ISFU accelerated the provision of electricity infrastructure to the project with the support of Majan Electricity,” the report added.

“Triangle Engineering chose Phase 7 of Sohar Industrial Area to start the factory for multiple reasons such as its proximity to the Sohar Free Zone and the Sohar Port. The other benefit was that raw materials could be sourced easily from Sohar or the UAE, some one hour away. In addition, with a lot of construction activity going on around Sohar, the company comprehended that there would be a great demand for scaffolding," the report said.

“The effect of producing the scaffoldings locally will result in investment opportunities in the fields of specialised services that are related to scaffolding. The production of scaffolding at 10 per cent of the plant's annual capacity is the final milestone to be achieved. This proportion is equivalent to 960 tonnes, which is aimed to be produced in 2018,” the report added.

Alkesh Joshi, partner at Ernst and Young, said that scaffolding equipment was key in ensuring that construction proceeded smoothly.

“The construction sector in Oman plays a vital role since we are still at the infrastructure build-up phase in the country. Scaffolding equipment has become more and more complex since the types of construction work to be carried out in Oman have also become complex and not just residential buildings. Complex constructions include bridges, tunnels, refineries, ports, roads in difficult terrains etc," he said.

“The fact that Sohar is going to have a unit to manufacture it locally, is a step in the positive direction. One of the key objectives of Tanfeedh is to increase the In-Country Value to the maximum extent possible. This will bring the investment, as well as its manufacturing technology to Oman. In the long run, this would have a spin-off effect in generating jobs for citizens, as well as reducing the lead time in getting the scaffolding material on a real-time basis, thereby helping the overall construction costs stay controlled,” he remarked.

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