The scope of works for the estimated $400 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract covers the construction of a 2,000-tonne-a-day plant and the provision of ammonia process technology. Construction is expected to take about two years. The ammonia package is the second of four main EPC plus process unit contracts tendered on the estimated $2,000 million complex. Bids were submitted in mid-December by three teams of international contractors for the sulphuric acid plant EPC package, while offers are due in March for the diammonia phosphate (DAP) and phosphoric acid plant contracts (MEED 23:12:05).

The phosphate feedstock will be sourced from the Al-Jalamid deposit in the northwest and transported via the planned minerals railway to Ras al-Zour. Australia’s WorleyParsons was recently awarded the project management consultancy (PMC) contract on the complex (MEED 6:1:06).