New $225 Million Carbon Anode Production Facility to Enhance Sohar Freezone’s Metals Cluster
Sohar Freezone is set to welcome a pioneering project with the signing of a land lease agreement for the construction of a prebaked carbon anodes manufacturing plant. This venture, a collaboration between Omani and Indian investors under the name Sanvira Tech SFZ, represents a significant $225 million investment.
The facility, occupying a 155,000 square meter site within the free zone, aims to produce around 300,000 tonnes annually of prebaked carbon anodes. These anodes are essential for the aluminium smelting process and will cater to markets across the GCC, Europe, and India.
Prebaked carbon anodes, composed of crushed calcined petroleum coke and liquid pitch, play a crucial role in conducting electricity during aluminium reduction. They are integral to the aluminium smelting process, where they are consumed over time.
The establishment of this plant follows the inauguration of a calcined petroleum coke plant at Sohar Freezone in November 2022, involving a $156 million investment. The coke plant, a venture by Sanvira Carbon (FZC) – a partnership including India's Sanvira Industries, Oman's Tanmia, and United Business Trading – is one of the largest in the region, boasting a production capacity of about 600,000 tonnes per annum.
The new project by Sanvira Tech is poised to further amplify value creation from the existing calcined petroleum coke facility. The company has already secured significant international commitments for its future production, including an agreement with global aluminium smelting leader Hydro. This deal will supply up to a quarter of the annual carbon anode requirements for Hydro's Norwegian smelters for eight years, marking a significant stride in Sohar Freezone's growing metals cluster.
