JACOBS Engineering Group has been awarded a contract by Idea Soda Ash and Calcium Chloride Company (Isacc) to provide engineering and project management services for the construction of a $300-million facility in Saudi Arabia.

The soda ash and calcium chloride production facility in Jubail’s Second Industrial City will be the first of its kind facility in the GCC. It will be supported by Jacob’s offices in Winnersh, the UK, Mumbai, India, and Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia for pre-contract award activities.

The facility will manufacture soda ash (sodium carbonate) and calcium chloride, products that are currently being imported and used in oil and gas drilling operations as well as in the production of glass and detergents.

Following the award of the engineering, procurement and construction contract, Jacobs is also providing the project management services up to the plant’s start-up.

Isacc managing director and CEO Abdulaziz Al Muaiyyad said: “We are excited to be working with Jacobs in its capacity as our PMC (project management consultant) partner for this strategic project for the kingdom. The project will make a significant contribution to the development of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy with all basic materials secured from mines within Saudi Arabia.”

The commissioning production run is scheduled to start by end of 2014 and commercial operations are expected to follow in the first quarter of 2015. Work is currently in progress to secure all the other necessary utilities to run the project. Isacc is setting up a new entity called Jubail Inorganic Chemicals Industries Company to run the new facility.