Work is expected to start on the RO24-million ($62.37 million) Sebacic Oman Factory at the Special Economic Zone of Duqm (SEZD) this week.
The foundation stone laying for the project will be hedl on October 26 under the patronage of Yahya Bin Said Al Jabri, Sezad chairman, a report in Oman Tribune said.
The factory is being built on an area of about 400,000 sq m.
The factory is the first project of its kind in the Middle East and will produce Sebacic acid, which is extracted from castor oil and is used in many chemical, plastics and pharmaceuticals industries.
Demand for Sebacic acid is growing due to a ban on plastics in packaging food products for children in several developed countries and increasing aerospace applications.
Sebacic acid is manufactured from castor oil, which is already grown in Oman. However, the company plans to import castor oil from India. As much as 70 per cent of world’s castor oil is produced in India, the report said.