January 29, 2026 15:11

A slice of Europe’s petrochemicals and polymers sector is heading to more favourable shores.

From Oman comes confirmation that the integrated purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plants previously owned by Indorama Ventures in Rotterdam (photo below), and closed in 2024, will be relocated to the Sohar Port and Freezone industrial and logistics complex on the Gulf of Oman.

The land lease agreement was signed by German trading company MAK Germany through its subsidiaries Sohar Petrochemicals and Sohar International Minerachem.
The project also involves OQ Refineries and Petroleum Industries, which will supply around 425,000 tonnes/year of paraxylene, the feedstock required for PTA production.
Other intermediates for PET synthesis, including monoethylene glycol (MEG) and acetic acid, will be imported through the port area and conveyed to the site via a dedicated pipeline network.

The investment will involve two sites. Sohar Freezone will host the PTA and PET production units, with a combined capacity of around 1.5 million tonnes/year, while Sohar Port will accommodate bulk storage, feedstock handling and pipeline interconnections.

PET output will be destined not only for markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, but also for Europe, where the plants originated.

“This project represents a major strategic milestone for MAK Germany. Relocating our PTA and PET production platform to Sohar reflects our confidence in Oman’s industrial environment and in Sohar Port and Freezone as a world-class destination for complex petrochemical investments,” said Hojat Mohammadi Imir, CEO and shareholder of the company.

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