Italian engineering and technology group Tecnimont (Maire) SpA said it has been authorized to start engineering works on Egyptian Chemical Industries Co.’s (KIMA) project for a new nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plant located in the Aswan Governorship in Upper Egypt, with the notice to proceed with the full Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) activities expected to be received by the end of June 2024.
The advance payment and authorization notice follows the EPC contract award for the project to a Tecnimont-lead consortium last June (GM June 9, 2023). The overall value of the EPC contract is $300 million, of which around $220 million pertains to Tecnimont.
The new plants will replace older units at the site, significantly reducing the present greenhouse emissions due to state-of-the art abatement systems, Tecnimont said in a Dec. 29 statement. The new nitric acid unit will have capacity to produce 600 mt/d and the ammonium nitrate plant 800 mt/d. The granular ammonium nitrate output from the new plant will be sold to local farmers and exported to international markets.