Jindal Steel Sohar – Driving Oman’s Economic Diversification

Oman has embraced steel production as the bridge to industrialization and diversification of its economy, and the Jindal Group is its partner in progress.

Strategically located in the industrial port of Sohar, Sultanate of Oman, Jindal Steel Sohar (formerly Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel) is the largest privately-owned integrated steel producer in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Its range of steel products are sold worldwide under the brand name Jindal Panther, and Jindal Steel Sohar (JSS) can export hot briquetted iron (HBI) when the steel shop does not need hot DRI (HDRI).

Aside from the range and quality of its products and strategic location, the commitment of JSS to the growth of the national economy, protection of the environment, and the needs of the local communities are what set it apart. In 2023, the Jindal Group acquired Sohar Steel after it had been shut down for several years, restoring jobs and adding to Oman’s steel exports. JSS is recognized as a pioneer in sustainability within the global steel industry by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and Sustainalytics, and the company conducts continuing education programs and on-the-job training to further develop the skills of its employees while providing for the health and wellbeing of them and their families.

A History of Record-Setting Achievements

JSS has been setting records since it was established in 2010, when the Jindal Group acquired Shadeed Iron & Steel Company (aka Hamil Steel, subsidiary of Al-Gaith Holdings UAE) in July. The fledgling company commissioned its first production unit – a 1.5 million metric tons (tonnes) per year (Mt/y) MIDREX® Direct Reduction Plant – within four months and shipped its first HBI in December. This first-of-its-kind HOTLINK® Plant is designed for charging HDRI by gravity flow at 600-650° C to the adjacent electric arc furnace (EAF) melt shop and is equipped with briquetting machines to produce HBI as a secondary income source.

In 2017, JSS became the third fastest MIDREX Plant to surpass 10 million tons of production and reached the 20 Mt production milestone in 2023. Along the way, Midrex has assisted JSS in boosting the plant’s annual rated capacity from 1.5 Mt initially to 1.8 Mt in 2018, and completed the first phase in 2023 to achieve in a middle term capacity of 1.92 Mt. A further upgrade that will boost productivity rate to 240 t/h is planned and underway. However, by achieving extremely high plant availability, production rate, and operating hours, JSS was able to produce 1.952 Mt (primarily HDRI) in 2024.

Overall, 2024 was a banner year for JSS’s HOTLINK Plant, setting numerous production records: annual (1.951+ Mt), monthly (169,646 t in March), and daily and hourly (5,610 t and 233.75 t, respectively, on 16 March), as well as operating hours (8,725+ of 8,784 available), a worldwide record for MIDREX Plants).

HDRI & HBI Characteristics