Situation When Realization Was Engaged

In May 2025, Realization was called into the Jindal Steel Sohar (JSS) Pellet Project when the project had entered a difficult phase. The completion date had been moving repeatedly, typically slipping by about two months at a time, and there was no longer a clear or predictable end point.

By then, a large amount of work had already been done. Both Dry Mill 1 and Dry Mill 2 were under erection. Conveyor systems were about 50% complete. Commissioning activities had started on multiple units. However, despite visible progress, the project was not converging toward any stable commissioning milestone.

Structural manpower availability was also constrained. The requirement was assessed at around 120 structural manpower, while mobilization was closer to 90.

More critically, several major scopes were competing for the same physical space. Dry Mill 1 and Dry Mill 2 shared the same access routes, crane movement zones, and material storage areas. Although separate erection contractors were engaged, key resources such as piping teams and heavy lifting equipment were common. This created daily coordination issues, crane clashes, and frequent start-stop situations across all fronts.

Execution Analysis and Target Definition

Realization carried out a focused execution analysis jointly with the JSS team.

Based on the remaining scope, physical constraints, structural manpower availability, and system interdependencies, an aggressive but feasible objective was defined: achieve first-stage commissioning of Dry Mill 1 by October 2025 (16 Months).

This milestone was selected to create a clear convergence point for execution and to stabilize priorities across the site.

Key Execution Decisions

Three core execution decisions were taken to support this objective.‍

1. Resolving the Area Constraint

All erection work on Dry Mill 2 was stopped. Its contractor was redirected to off-site fabrication and readiness activities. The entire site access, crane capacity, and working area were then dedicated to Dry Mill 1. This immediately removed crane clashes, reduced daily coordination dependency, and enabled uninterrupted progress on the heavy structure. The focus was maintained until the major structural lifts of Dry Mill 1, including heavy lifts up to around 30 meters, were completed.

2. Refocusing Commissioning Effort‍

Commissioning teams, which were earlier spread across multiple systems, were reorganized. Instead of opening many parallel fronts, teams were aligned to complete and stabilize units one by one. The objective was to close systems fully before opening new ones, rather than carry multiple partially commissioned units.

3. Establishing Full-Kitting Discipline‍

Full-kitting was enforced across ducting, conveyors, and ESP scopes. Work was not started unless drawings, materials, access and manpower were ready. This significantly reduced routine start-stop losses and allowed crews to execute scopes without repeated interruptions.

Execution Outcome & Result

With these changes, execution began to stabilize. Although the October target could not be fully achieved, the balance scope was completed in November 2025. Dry Mill 1 erection and first-stage plant commissioning were achieved within roughly six months from Realization’s entry into the project. Considering the scale of the structure (approximately 72 meters) and the parallel commissioning scope, this outcome was materially faster than typical industry timelines, which generally require eight months or more for similar erection and commissioning.