Italy’s Tecnimont has awarded the US’ KBR a contract for the basic engineering design of an ammonia plant in Egypt.

The plant is being built by the local Chemical Industries Holding (Kima) at Aswan in Egypt and KBR will provide its trademarked Purifier ammonia technology.

The value of the contract was not disclosed, but the entire engineering, procurement and construction phase of the plant will be completed in 2014.

The Kima complex will have a capacity of about 550,000 tonnes a year of nitrogen-based fertilisers when fully operational. The offtake will be sold into the local market.