Powerful future for new Sohar Aluminium employees

MUSCAT: Following the completion of an intensive 18-month skills training program, 14 young Sohar Aluminium trainees have successfully attended an eight week course in gas turbine combined cycle power plant technology, designed to familiarise them with the overall workings of a Power Plant.

These young Omani men can now look forward to exciting careers as Power Plant Technicians at Sohar Aluminium’s dedicated Power Plant at the Port of Sohar.

Sohar Aluminium Training Manager John Thurling said as an extra conduit to the overall skills program, the trainees participated in a specially designed course conducted by National Training Institute (NTI) that dealt with all aspects of the operations and maintenance of gas and steam turbines. The turbines are used to generate electricity for the smelter and the power plant will be one of the largest installed in Oman.

“NTI brought in an international gas turbine expert to ensure our trainees received the best possible instruction,” Mr Thurling said. “The expert was impressed with the caliber of the trainees’ knowledge and found them very eager and quick to learn.”

Operations Manager Jim McDonough and Maintenance Manager Madan Mendiratta said they looked forward to welcoming their new Technicians to the Power Plant on Saturday 28 July.

“We are very confident that these young people will be an enormous asset to our business and that they will continue to improve as they are exposed to various areas of the Power Plant,” Mr McDonough said.

Power Plant Maintenance Manager Mr Mendiratta added: “Their training has been comprehensive and of a very high standard and the skills and techniques they have learnt will be well utilised now and in the future.”

A special graduation ceremony was held for the trainees at NTI in Sohar, where all were congratulated on their achievements. “The results are very encouraging and on the whole it has been an extremely successful program,” Mr Thurling said.

“All our trainees have shown great promise and are destined for a very rewarding future. They now have very valuable skills that are in much demand.”