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Chemical Engineering

KBR technology selected by SABIC AN for world-scale ammonia plant

| By Mary Bailey

[KBR, Inc.](Houston, Texas) announced that SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co.(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; SABIC AN) has selected its Purifier® technology for a new grassroots ammonia plant in Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide technology licensing, basic engineering design, proprietary equipment, and catalyst supply for a 3,500 metric tons per day (MTPD) single-train ammonia plant. KBR will work alongside EPC contractor Samsung E&A Co., Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea) to deliver the project. The facility will produce 1.2 million metric tons of ammonia annually.

The project is expected to increase SABIC AN’s urea production capacity from 4.8 million to 7.4 million metric tons per year, supporting the company’s strategy to expand fertilizer production. KBR’s Purifier® configuration will enable lower carbon intensity per ton of ammonia produced compared with conventional ammonia process designs.

The award represents one of the largest ammonia capacity plants licensed in the Kingdom and KBR’s largest ammonia license by capacity in the Middle East and Africa. The project supports Saudi Arabia’s industrial development objectives under Vision 2030 while strengthening the Kingdom’s role in global food security through increased fertilizer production.

“This award confirms the strength of our Purifier® ammonia technology and the trust that leading producers such as SABIC AN place in KBR to deliver reliable, high-performance solutions at world scale,” said Stuart Bradie, President and CEO, KBR. “We are proud to support SABIC AN’s growth ambitions and help expand fertilizer production capacity in the Kingdom while contributing to global food security.”

This award marks KBR’s second large-scale single-train ammonia award of 2026, following a 3,430 MTPD plant in Latin America.