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.
