MEED reported that US based Chicago Bridge & Iron has won a subcontract to engineer, fabricate and build two 50,000 tonne ammonia storage tanks as part of the 5th phase expansion of Qatar Fertilizer Company at Mesaieed.

The work was placed by the Italian & Korean consortium of Snamprogetti and Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company, which won the USD 3.2 billion main engineering, procurement and construction contract in 2007.

CB&I along with Germany's Uhde was the original contractor on the QAFCO 5 scheme when it was first awarded in 2006. However issues over the conversion of the two contracts to lump sum deals resulted in both of them being cancelled.

QAFCO 5 involves the construction of 2 ammonia plants with a total capacity of 4,600 tonnes a day and a urea plant with a capacity of 3,850 tonnes a day. The work also includes a 167 MW captive power plant, ship loading facilities, an air separation facility, a desalination plant and an effluent water treatment unit.

Commissioning is set for January 2011.