BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 30. SABIC
Agri-Nutrients (SABIC AN) has selected KBR’s Purifier® ammonia
technology for a new grassroots ammonia plant in Jubail, Saudi
Arabia, KBR said on Sept.29.


Under the contract, KBR will provide technology licensing, basic
engineering design, proprietary equipment and catalyst supply for a
3,500-metric-ton-per-day single-train ammonia plant. KBR will work
with EPC contractor Samsung E&A on the project. The facility is
expected to produce 1.2 million metric tons of ammonia annually and
increase SABIC AN’s urea production capacity from 4.8 million to
7.4 million metric tons per year.


KBR said its Purifier® configuration will enable a 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 Saudi Arabia and KBR’s largest
ammonia license by capacity in the Middle East and Africa,
according to the company.


“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,” KBR President and CEO Stuart Bradie said.


“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,” he added.


The project is also expected to support Saudi Arabia’s
industrial development objectives under its Vision 2030 strategy
and strengthen the Kingdom’s fertilizer production capacity. KBR
said the award is its second large-scale single-train ammonia award
of 2026, following a 3,430-metric-ton-per-day plant in Latin
America.







KBR’s ammonia technology


KBR’s Purifier® process is a proprietary ammonia technology
designed to produce high-purity synthesis gas while reducing energy
consumption. According to KBR, its process uses cryogenic
purification to remove impurities such as methane and argon from
synthesis gas while controlling the hydrogen-to-nitrogen ratio
required for ammonia synthesis.


KBR says its Purifier-based technology can support single-train
ammonia plants with capacities of up to 6,000 metric tons per day,
while offering reduced equipment requirements, lower capital and
operating costs and lower CO₂ and NOx emissions.


The company said its ammonia technology has been deployed in
more than 260 grassroots facilities since 1943. KBR also continues
to develop digital solutions for plant performance, including KBR
INSITE®, which it describes as a physics-enabled AI advisor for
plant operations.