MAIRE has announced that its subsidiary, Tecnimont, has secured a major engineering, procurement, commissioning, and start-up contract worth approximately €1.3 billion for the development of a large-scale fertilizer complex in Argentina. The project has been awarded by Fértil Pampa S.A.U., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pampa Energia S.A., marking MAIRE’s first major industrial project in the country and expanding its footprint across Latin America.
The fertilizer complex will be built within the Bahía Blanca Industrial Complex in Buenos Aires Province on an 80-hectare site strategically positioned near Pampa Energia’s existing power generation facilities. The location offers direct connectivity to critical infrastructure, including natural gas pipelines, high-voltage transmission networks, water supply systems, and a deep-water export port, ensuring efficient plant operations and streamlined logistics.
The project will feature a large-scale ammonia production unit alongside two ultra-low energy (ULE) urea production trains, each integrated with its own granulation facility. Together, the units will produce 6,000 metric tons of urea per day, equivalent to approximately 2.1 million metric tons annually, making it the largest urea manufacturing facility in Latin America.
Tecnimont will oversee engineering, procurement, commissioning, and start-up activities for the project. MAIRE’s technology division, Nextchem, will supply Stamicarbon’s advanced urea melt and granulation technologies, including licensing, the Process Design Package (PDP), proprietary equipment, and the primary reformer for syngas production through KT Tech. Meanwhile, KBR will provide the ammonia production technology. Around €140 million of the total contract value relates specifically to Nextchem’s technology package.
Construction activities will involve Argentine engineering and construction company SACDE S.A., while overall project completion is expected within 41 months.
Beyond expanding fertilizer manufacturing capacity, the project is expected to deliver significant economic benefits to Argentina. During peak construction, it is projected to create more than 3,500 direct jobs, in addition to numerous indirect employment opportunities across the supply chain. The investment is also expected to strengthen the country’s domestic fertilizer industry, reduce dependence on imports, support agricultural productivity, and enhance Argentina’s position in regional fertilizer markets.
Commenting on the development, MAIRE CEO Alessandro Bernini stated that the award represents an important milestone for the company’s international expansion strategy. He highlighted that the project combines Tecnimont’s engineering expertise with Nextchem’s proprietary technologies to deliver a world-scale fertilizer complex while supporting the commercialization of Argentina’s abundant natural gas resources and boosting domestic fertilizer production.
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