Maire's NextChem Wins a €125M Saudi Fertilizer Technology Contract
Maire's NextChem Wins a €125M Saudi Fertilizer Technology Contract
MAIRE has announced that NextChem, through its nitrogen technology licensor Stamicarbon, has been selected to provide the technology package for SABIC Agri-Nutrients’ (SABIC AN) SAN-7 large-scale fertilizer project in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The package is valued at approximately €125 million and includes technology licensing, the Process Design Package (PDP) and proprietary equipment based on Stamicarbon’s NX STAMI™ Urea technology. The grassroots plant will comprise two urea production units, each with a capacity of 3,850 metric tons per day. The award reinforces NextChem’s presence in the Middle East fertilizers segment and supports SABIC AN’s expansion of Saudi urea production and export capability under Vision 2030.
Scope of the Technology Package
Stamicarbon’s scope covers a licensing agreement with SABIC as well as contracts with the EPC contractor for the Process Design Package and supply of proprietary equipment. The NX STAMI Urea platform is designed for high-capacity, energy-efficient urea synthesis and is positioned for world-scale single trains. Two parallel 3,850 t/d units give the complex a combined urea capacity of 7,700 t/d—among the larger grassroots urea additions currently under development in the region.
SAN-7 Project Context
SAN-7 is SABIC AN’s major expansion of ammonia and urea capacity at Jubail. The EPC contract for the overall complex was awarded to Samsung E&A at a value of about USD 3.465 billion, with construction expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2026 and commercial production targeted for the fourth quarter of 2030. NextChem’s technology package sits within that broader project schedule and locks in the urea process design and key proprietary hardware early in the execution sequence.
Strategic Fit for SABIC AN and Saudi Arabia
SABIC AN is expanding fertilizer production to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s role in global food security and to support industrial development goals under Vision 2030. Additional world-scale urea capacity at Jubail leverages competitive natural gas feedstock, existing industrial infrastructure and established export logistics. For NextChem and Stamicarbon, selection by a major regional producer validates the NX STAMI Urea offering at the upper end of commercial scale and adds a reference in one of the world’s most important fertilizer-exporting jurisdictions.
Momentum in NextChem’s Fertilizer Portfolio
The €125 million award follows other recent fertilizer technology wins and reflects management’s emphasis on proprietary nitrogen solutions that combine operational efficiency, reliability and long-term competitiveness. Licensing plus proprietary equipment packages generate higher-margin, technology-led revenue compared with pure EPC work and deepen long-term customer relationships through ongoing technical support.
Implications for Global Urea Supply
When completed around 2030, the two 3,850 t/d trains will add a substantial block of low-cost Middle East urea to the seaborne market. Traders and importers will factor the volumes into medium-term balance forecasts, while competing producers will assess the impact on regional netbacks and trade flows. Technology choice and execution quality will influence how quickly and reliably the capacity comes online.
Outlook
NextChem’s €125 million technology package for SABIC AN’s SAN-7 complex secures NX STAMI Urea as the process platform for two world-scale urea trains in Jubail and advances a major Saudi fertilizer expansion toward construction. Delivery of the PDP and proprietary equipment on schedule will be the next critical milestone. For MAIRE, the award strengthens its fertilizer licensing franchise in the Middle East; for the global nitrogen market, it confirms another large, gas-advantaged capacity addition on the path to commercial production by the end of the decade.
Sources
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