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Advance International is undertaking a major project freight management contract on behalf of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), shipping thousands of parts and pieces of equipment from all over the globe to help construct a huge fertilizer plant in Sohar, Oman.

The multi-million dollar fertilizer complex is being constructed by MHI and is set to be operational in 2008. Acting as the exclusive worldwide freight forwarder for the project, Advance International has had to collect equipment and items from 208 shippers or manufacturers located in some 37 countries. The largest item was a 442-ton ammonia converter unit, shipped from Italy to Oman recently.

The plant is being built within the Sohar Industrial Area, approximately 260 km northwest of the Omani capital, Muscat. The complex will comprise a 2,000 mtpd (metric tons per day) ammonia production plant, a 3,500 mtpd urea production and granulation plant, and supporting facilities. It will initially produce ammonia from natural gas, and the entire ammonia output will be converted to urea for producing granular urea, the end product to be used as fertilizer.

The contract is just one in a series of large-scale transportation assignments for Advance International, which recently provided heavy lift transportation and logistics services for a major modernisation of Bulgaria’s largest thermal power plant.

Commenting on the Omani project, Jawad Kamel, Advance International’s President and CEO, said: “Advance has long enjoyed a successful relationship with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and we are delighted to be involved in such an important and complex transportation project.

“The efficient and successful handling of this project is a further example of Advance International’s proficiency in project cargo transportation. This project started earlier this year and shipments of the main equipment will be completed by the middle of next year. We are very pleased to have played such a key role in this vital project for Oman.

“We understand that a second-phase ammonia/urea plant expansion project is already in the pipeline, and we hope to be selected as the transport partner for that development.

”On the strength of this large-scale project in Oman, Advance International is further developing its presence in the Middle East and enhancing its reputation in the area of project forwarding.”