Amec lands £590m Iraq contracts

ENGINEERING services supplier Amec has secured two more huge contracts to help rebuild war-torn Iraq through its joint venture with US partner Fluor.

The awards for building and repairing water and sewage systems are worth £590m.

Just two weeks ago, Amec's joint venture celebrated its first big Iraq contract with a £270m deal to repair shattered electricity networks.

The run of deals raises the prospect the British firm could soon secure interests in more than £1bn of work should its unit land another project.

The US Department of Defence said the new work covered water treatment systems, municipal sewers and waste management facilities in northern and southern Iraq.

US authorities have been raising the tempo of their reconstruction efforts to counter criticism that they have acted too slowly and to help bolster the planned transfer of sovereignty to an Iraqi body on 30 June.

Amec, which traces its corporate roots to the 19th century, teamed up with California-based Fluor to raise its chances of getting Iraqi work.

The British company has a 49% holding in the joint venture.