AMEC, theinternational engineering and project management company, and Shanghai ZonePetrochemical Engineering Co. Ltd (SZPE), a chemical engineering companybased in Shanghai, are delighted to announce the formation of a new jointventure in China, SZPE AMEC.

To create the new joint venture AMEC has purchased 35 percent of SZPE, with an option to purchase a further 15per cent on 1 January 2012.

The new venture will allow AMEC for the firsttime to undertake detailed engineering in China, supporting the company’slong-term presence in the region, and the strategic aim of building capabilityto support customers.

SZPE AMEC will operate from an existingdesign office near Shanghai, with a new larger design office already plannedalso in the Shanghai area. Theventure has the advantage of an existing high quality customer base andbacklog, and a geographical fit with AMEC’s existing operations in China. SZPE AMEC employs some 120 skilled engineers, with further expansion planned tosupport new projects.

“This new venture takes us an important stepforward in our long association with China,” said Tony Cruddas, President ofAMEC’s Growth Regions operations. “It adds a new service to our existing strong positions inproject management and basic engineering.”

Ross Gibson, AMEC’s Regional Director forChina, added: “The deal provides us with the necessary licences to undertakedetailed engineering in China, which in turn supports our strategy to build amore consistent flow of engineering work in the region and achieve our plansfor growth.”

Mr Zhang, the owner and General Manager of SZPEsaid: “I am very pleased to see the creation of SZPE AMEC. Access to AMEC’s expertisein delivering large and complex projects, and in particular their world-classproject management and risk management expertise will help SZPE, a relativelynew enterprise, grow and give us the opportunity to deliver much biggerprojects for our customers.”