Skip to main content

Fertilizer International

Press Release: Metso is awarded with 2-year lifecycle contract for IDMI’s phosphate beneficiation plant in Jordan


Metso Corporation’s press release on January 5, 2025, at 09:00 a.m. EET

Metso and Ideal Development for Manufacturing Industries (IDMI) have signed a 2-year life-cycle contract covering a new phosphate beneficiation plant at the Eshidiya Mine, south of Jordan. Metso will support the customer in commissioning, ramping up and optimizing the new greenfield site, covering both maintenance and plant operations.

The value of the 2-year contract is not disclosed. The contract is performance-based, which includes mutually agreed targets with the customer, fostering a win-win partnership. The first part of the contract has been booked in the Minerals segment’s first-quarter 2025 orders received. The customer has the option to extend the contract by two years.

The agreement is an important continuation of Metso’s first phosphate application contract in the Middle East, signed in 2023. Metso was awarded most of the critical equipment supply in the flow sheet, including grinding, flotation, thickeners, filters, pumps, and energy and water efficient Metso UltraFine Series™ screens. These screens are part of the Metso Plus offering for fine wet screening and represent the first ultra fine screen installation in a phosphate beneficiation plant.

“By utilizing Metso’s key technologies and modern and safe commissioning methods at our site, we aim for a strong return on investment, leading to revenue and growth opportunities. Strong collaboration is essential for ensuring safe and productive operations,” says Rami Fakhouri, Managing Director, Ideal Development for Manufacturing Industries.

“We appreciate our customer’s trust in continuing our partnership, and we are glad for this important reference. With Jordan holding the fifth largest phosphate reserves in the world, we are committed to supporting success in this significant industry. Our goal is to ensure a smooth commissioning process and sustained efficient production to not only meet but exceed business targets”, says Rajneesh Mishra, Vice President, Sales and Service, Middle East, Metso.

Metso supports customers in ensuring safety and environmental performance, improving reliability and production for resource efficiency, as well as optimizing total cost of ownership.

Latest in Middle East

Samsung to build UAE’s first methanol plant

UAE-based chemicals and transition fuels hub TA’ZIZ has awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract worth $1.7 billion to engineering company Samsung E&A to build the UAE’s first methanol plant. The facility will be located at the Al Ruwais Industrial City in the western part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. It is projected to produce 1.8 million t/a green methanol, powered by clean energy from the grid, with the plant scheduled for completion in 2028.

Fertiglobe expects FID on green ammonia projects soon

In its 4Q 2024 results presentation, Abu Dhabi-based Fertiglobe said that it expects to reach a final investment decision (FID) on two clean hydrogen and ammonia projects in the US and Egypt in 2025. Fertiglobe confirmed that FID on the ADNOC-ExxonMobil low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia project in Baytown, Texas, is expected in 2025, with operations anticipated to begin in 2029. ADNOC’s 35% equity stake in the project will be transferred to Fertiglobe at cost once the project is operational.

MOPCO lines up thyssenkrupp to lower carbon intensity of production

thyssenkrupp Uhde says that it has been selected by MOPCO – the Misr Fertilizers Production Company – to supply advanced technology for three existing ammonia and urea plants in Damietta, Egypt, to improve the sustainability of production. Using an innovative carbon capture and usage (CCU) solution, the aim is to remove up to 145,000 t/a of CO2 from the flue gas of the existing ammonia production and use them to boost urea production. At the same time, three 150 t/d axial-radial flow uhde® ammonia converter cartridges using JM’s high performance KATALCOTM 74-1catalyst will be installed in the existing converters to increase ammonia production capacity while lowering natural gas consumption in the synthesis loop by around 10%. To bring down CO2 emissions further, additional green hydrogen feedstock will be sourced from new water electrolysis units powered by renewable energy. MOPCO plans to produce up to 150,000 t/a of green ammonia.

Bids invited for gas sweetening facility

Kuwait’s state owned Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has issued a tender for companies to bid on construction of the second phase of its gas sweetening facility at booster station BS 171 in West Kuwait. Thirty-two companies have been pre-qualified to bid for the $390 million engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project. Phase II will involve the construction of two processing trains, each with a capacity to produce 60 million scf/d of sales gas from sour gas with an H2S content of 4%. Sulphur recovery from the project will come from two separate 100 t/d trains with a total capacity of 65,000 t/a of molten sulphur.