MAIRE/Tecnimont awarded €1.3bn EPC for 2.1 Mt/yr urea complex in Argentina
- 2.1 million tonnes/year granular urea capacity (6,000 t/day), largest urea plant in Latin America by production.
- Contract value approximately €1.3 billion, of which €140 million relates to Nextchem’s technology package.
- Tecnimont’s scope covers engineering, procurement, commissioning and start-up; scheduled for completion in 41 months.
- Nextchem provides Stamicarbon urea melt/granulation licensing, PDP and proprietary equipment; KT Tech supplies the primary reformer; KBR supplies ammonia; SACDE S.A. to execute construction.
Project scope and capacity
The complex comprises a large-scale ammonia plant and two parallel ultra-low energy urea trains with individual granulation units, delivering a combined capacity of 6,000 t/day (2.1 million t/year) of granular urea. The site occupies 80 hectares within the Bahía Blanca Industrial Complex adjacent to existing power assets, with direct access to gas pipelines, high-voltage lines, water intake and a deep-water export port.
Technology and contract value
Tecnimont will perform engineering, procurement, commissioning and start-up. Nextchem was selected as technology provider, leveraging Stamicarbon urea melt and granulation licensing, the Process Design Package and associated proprietary equipment; KT Tech supplies the primary reformer for syngas and KBR provides ammonia technology. The total contract value is approximately €1.3 billion, with €140 million allocated to Nextchem’s technology package.
Execution and schedule
Overall execution involves SACDE S.A. for construction. The project timeline foresees completion in 41 months from award.
Local impact and company comment
The project is expected to create more than 3,500 direct jobs at peak construction plus additional indirect employment across the supply chain, and to support local employment and the regional fertilizer supply chain. MAIRE’s CEO framed the award as the Group’s entry into Argentina, citing geographical diversification and the integration of Tecnimont’s execution capabilities with Nextchem’s technology to monetise domestic natural gas reserves and strengthen national fertilizer production.
Source: Maire