October 18, 2021 [GulfNews] – In 1995, the Government of Sharjah made a historic announcement for the establishment of a Free Zone in Hamriyah.

It was immediately recognised as a visionary project designed to progress the economy of Sharjah and the UAE and to provide individual investors who had the foresight to take up the opportunity to benefit from this strategically located free zone.

Sharjah National Lube Oil Company WLL (Sharlu) brought into this vision as the first private company investing and became one of the pioneer investors in the free zone. With the encouragement and support of the free zone authorities, Sharlu took a long-term lease of a plot, to establish a tank farm for storage of base oils used in the manufacture of industrial, marine and automotive lubricants.

With a clear idea of what to focus on, the free zone authorities allocated a plot that was nearest to the three main jetties. This foresight on the part of the free zone management allowed Sharlu to develop a commercial tank farm for easy receipt of bulk liquid product from vessels and for reloading out going vessels.

With the full on encouragement of Hamriyah Free Zone Authorities coupled with the ease of doing business through the facilities that were on offer, Sharlu increased the throughput from its tank farm to a level that encouraged and attracted more companies to set up tank farms for base oils, chemicals, fuels etc. Thus Hamriyah Free Zone became the leading bulk liquid storage port.

Sharlu being the oldest commercially run terminal has the knowledge and experience to employ discharging strategies that ensure vessels bringing in product for Sharlu, or its clients are able to offload within the contractually allocated time. This is a major plus for clients as it saves them from incurring demurrage charges. All the discharging lines in use are piggable and have a throughput capacity of discharging vessels at the rate of 180mt per hour.

Sharlu has been very successful in optimising the opportunity and has since inception, continuously added capacity to accommodate companies that trade in base oils but do not have their own Terminal to bring in, store and distribute product.

For its tank farm clients who lease capacity on a short or long-term basis Sharlu provides a comprehensive package of attending incoming vessels bringing in clients’ products, arranging for independent surveyors to check on quantity and quality of the product and discharging from vessels into tanks. It also handles all the operational details such as arranging transportation to the customers for leasing parties, loading of liquid product in tanker trucks, flexi bags or IBCs, or even in drums as per requirements of clients for onward dispatch.

In addition, Sharlu undertakes to provide comprehensive inventory control service to its clients, keeping track of incoming products according to grade and specification, while meticulously documenting the quantities moved by client to their own various customers. Sharlu’s client have the satisfaction of knowing that every single ton of liquid product will be accounted for and tracked to ascertain where, when, how and to whom it was dispatched.

The only information that Sharlu is not privy to is the price that the product has been sold at. Sharlu ensures full confidentiality of product stored, quantities available with a client and the customers to whom product is being dispatched.

Sharlu also has the unique distinction of having been successfully audited by multinational companies that have used its facilities, for being able to maintain the total integrity of the product as it was received from the refinery via ocean going vessel till the time it is dispatched to various clients in smaller parcels.

The Management of Hamriyah Free Zone has always been very Cooperative and supportive of Sharlu since 1998 when the lease Agreement was signed. Since then the relationship has grown and evolved positively. The future is bright and the vision behind the establishment of the Free Zone will only help Sharlu to scale new heights.

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