Sustainability
SOHAR Port and Freezone has always strived to deliver on its commitment to sustainability. This is visible in our efforts to tie up with industries that are moving towards cleaner forms of energy or establishing projects that are in line with this concept.
In this regards, SOHAR Port and Freezone developed strategic programs within the fields of Health Safety Security Environment (HSSE), Circular Economy &Clean Energy, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Clean Shipping and international cooperation that improve health and education, create jobs, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and preserving the oceans and the living environment.
Health Safety Security Environment (HSSE)
SOHAR Port and Freezone aims to sustain the Health, Safety, Security, and Environment for all the users of the port and Freezone as well as for the surrounding communities. This is achieved by working closely together with Government authorities, the tenants and the community.
In the preliminary stage of all projects, a careful assessment is done via a set of review and permitting process. This is to ensure that possible impacts such as emissions and hazards associated with the project are as low as reasonable practice at all times.
Together with the Government Authorities, HSSE performance of SOHAR Port and Freezone users is monitored. Whenever required, SOHAR HSSE team works closely with SOHAR Port and Freezone users to enhance the performance in a well-structured manner.
Monitoring systems that are in and around the Port and Freezone area, continuously measure the quality of the environment, such as air, groundwater and marine. These systems are used to monitor trends in environmental quality and to allow for timely actions that support the maintaining of a good and healthy living environment.
In SOHAR Port and Freezone, a variety of hazards can be present. These hazards relate e.g. to the road and sea traffic, the occupational conditions or the logistic and industrial processes. Protection of people, environment, assets and business continuity against such hazards is of key importance. Protection is achieved via adopting adequate safety and risk management systems in different fields that aim on prevention of incidents on one hand as well as a well-prepared emergency response on the other hand.
Circular Economy and Renewable Energy
The global population is growing, as well is the demand for primary raw materials. Finite supplies place a burden on environment, as the majority of goods are dependent on either fossil fuels, minerals from mining operations or agricultural products, all of which can have a negative environmental impact.
SOHAR Port and Freezone aims to accelerate the transition to the circular economy since it will bolster the economic development in Oman. SOHAR Port & Freezone greatly stands to benefit by attracting new innovative companies that focus on generating revenue streams from business activities associated with the recovery valuable materials and the development of innovative products.
To shape a more sustainable energy future and to offset the need of energy for energy-intensive projects, SOHAR Port and Freezone is putting up solar panels to generate solar energy, taking measures to reduce energy consumption and to reuse wastewater. These solar PV projects will free up natural gas resources for better economic use and enable further economic development in SOHAR.
Promoting safe and clean shipping
The Environmental Ship Index (ESI) identifies seagoing ships that perform better in reducing air emissions than required by the current emission standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). SOHAR Port and Freezone is proud to support this important initiative and uses the ESI to reward cleaner ships by discounting Port tariffs through the Green Award scheme. Further information can be found on www.environmentalshipindex.org .
A similar initiative that is adopted by SOHAR Port is the Green Award for Ships that are Extra Clean and Extra Safe. The Green Award certification scheme is open to oil tankers, chemical tankers and dry bulk carriers from 20,000 DWT and upwards, as well as LNG and container ships. SOHAR joined other ports around the world in granting Green Award vessels a considerable reduction in port dues. Further information can be found on www.greenaward.org .
Best international practices and international cooperation
All projects and operations in SOHAR Port and Freezone have to comply with Omani Law as well as a set of binding international regulations and treaties. This includes but not limited to; the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
SOHAR Port and Freezone adopts additional international standards including the EU Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) directive, the Seveso III guideline and the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Codes and Standards in all Port and Freezone projects and operations.
Through the network of our shareholder, Port of Rotterdam, SOHAR Port and Freezone have established a long-term cooperation program with the Environmental Protection Agency Rotterdam and the Safety Region Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. By building on the expertise of these international partners, we are able to operate and develop the port and the Freezone in a safe and sustainable manner.
SOHAR Port and Freezone Polices and Guidelines
In order to comply with SOHAR Port and Freezone Sustainability and HSSE requirements, the following policies and guidelines shall be considered adhered to at all times.
Useful links
European IPPC Bureau
Industrial production processes account for a considerable share of the overall pollution (for pollutants such as greenhouse gases, acidifying substances, wastewater emissions and waste). The main regulatory framework for HSSE matters is Omani Law, i.e. the applicable Royal Decrees and Ministerial Decisions. In addition to local regulations, SOHAR Port and Freezone adopt International standards (such as IPPC) in the area for the industrial project in the area. The EU has a set of common rules for licensing and controlling industrial installations in the IPPC Directive of 1996. In essence, this Directive is about preventing, and when this is not possible minimizing, pollution from various industrial sources throughout the European Union, and achieving integrated control of their emissions, consumption of energy, water and raw materials.
The European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Bureau, located at the JRC`s site in Seville, provides a major contribution to the implementation of this Directive by establishing Best Available Techniques reference documents (BREF). These serve as a reference for EU Member States authorities to ensure that permits for the industrial processes concerned include emission limit values based on best available techniques that have been determined by working groups encompassing experts from industry and national administrations. The BREFs documents is accessible using the following link: https://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference
SOHAR HSSE Policy sets out your general approach to health, safety, Environment and Social Performance applies across SOHAR. It is designed to protect people and the environment. It also aims to align with the General Business Principles on how we operate and work to involve communities close to our operations.
SOHAR Port and Freezone Rules and Regulation has been designed to ensure the good order, safety, security, and protection of lives and property, along with sound environmental practices in the SOHAR Port and Freezone Area. These Rules and Regulations also take into account the acknowledged commercial objectives of the Tenants, on an individual and collective basis.
The guideline presents procedures and mechanisms for obtaining environmental permits and ensuring that all operations in SOHAR Port and Freezone comply with local and international best practices in environmental management.
This guideline describes the specific technical requirements when carrying out zero and end soil surveys. The guideline is primarily set for the tenant and the contractor that carries out the survey. The zero survey is used to describe the initial soil quality at the beginning of a tenant’s lease period and is a reference to the quality when the plot is leased back. The end survey is used to describe the soil quality after a tenant’s lease period.
ARWA (Advanced Regulatory Wiki Application) Omani Environmental Regulations International References Documents SEU Guidance Notes, Version July 2013.
Be`ah Industrial Waste Treatment Facility (IWTF) located at SOHAR Freezone phase 5. This facility consists of an incineration plant, a physical and chemical treatment unit, a solidification unit, several landfills to cater to different requirements, and pre-treatment and storage units. This document detailed the screening values for disposal of waste to landfill.
SOHAR Emergency Response Plan provides the framework and procedures to achieve the appropriate immediate response to an ongoing management of a crisis or threat of a crisis within SOHAR Freezone in order to minimize the threat to life, damage to assets and achieve a return to normal operations as soon as possible.
The Sohar Industrial Port Area Emergency Response Plan provides the framework and procedures to achieve the appropriate immediate response to an ongoing management of a crisis or threat of a crisis within Sohar Industrial Port Area in order to minimize the threat to life, damage to assets and achieve a return to normal operations as soon as possible.
Oil Spill Contingency Plan is designed to guide SOHAR Port and Freezone and SOHAR Port Tenants’ response personnel through the processes required to manage an oil spill originating from operations within ‐or‐ approaching the Port’s area of jurisdiction.
For importing and handling of scrap metal, the Technical Guideline RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS Inadvertently Incorporated into Scrap Metals shall be followed at all times. SOHAR Port and Freezone Environment Team will provide the Guideline to Port and Freezone users that handle metal scrap metals. Guideline can be provided upon request. The request has to be sent to the following email:environment@soharportandfreezone.com
This document comprises of the anti-hazardous traffic policy and Procedure for SOHAR Port and Freezone (SPF) concession area.
The guideline presents procedures and mechanisms for obtaining PACDA permits for SOHAR Port and Freezone tenants.
The guideline presents procedures and mechanisms for obtain gate pass to enter the port and freezone using SOHAR Port and Freezone`s online gate pass system.
To get the User Manual click here
The Environmental Performance Reporting Guidelines document seeks to provide guidance to environmental permit holders on how to plan, prepare and submit their EPRs in a manner that facilitates an optimized and more comprehensive style of reporting. The document also seeks to promote improved consistency in the quality of environmental data and support environmental permit holders in complying with applicable environmental law.
The purpose of the
SOHAR Operator Road Safety Standard document is to describe the minimum
standards required by drivers and vehicles regarding the safety of land
transport in SOHAR Port and Freezone.
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This document aims to guide SOHAR
Port and Freezone’s tenants for better waste management through detailed
guidelines to satisfy the legal requirements of all relative stakeholders. It
standardizes safe and responsible practices for the storage, transport,
treatment, and disposal of waste.
The guideline will help SOHAR Port tenants in mitigating the impact of stormwater accumulation on tenants’ plots by outlining best practices for management and discharge and, provide guidance on dealing with stormwater emergency situations.