Saudi Arabia’s SABIC Agri-Nutrients, a fertilizer subsidiary of SABIC, has awarded Samsung E&A a $3.47 billion EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract for a new ammonia-urea complex known as San VII, it is reported. The project is expected to expand the company’s urea production capacity from 4.8 million t/y to 7.4 million t/y, a 54 percent increase.
The project will build new capacity of 1.2 million t/y of ammonia and 2.6 million t/y of urea, with construction targeted to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026 and start-up targeted for the third quarter of 2030, it is reported. The ammonia process is reported to use technology licensed from KBR, while the urea process will use technology from Stamicarbon and thyssenkrupp Uhde, with carbon capture technology supplied by Shell. Samsung E&A is reported to be the sole EPC contractor.
The contract value is $3.47 billion (approximately SAR 13 billion), covering new capacity of 1.2 million t/y of ammonia and 2.6 million t/y of urea. The expansion will raise SABIC Agri-Nutrients’ total urea capacity from 4.8 million t/y to 7.4 million t/y. Construction is targeted to start in Q4 2026, with commercial start-up targeted for Q3 2030.
The investment is reported to be aimed at expanding ammonia and urea production capacity in response to rising fertilizer demand, while incorporating carbon capture technology to build a lower-carbon fertilizer production system.
Continued EPC awards for large-scale fertilizer complexes suggest ongoing opportunities for engineering firms in Middle East fertilizer and chemical plant projects, along with a growing trend of combining carbon capture technology with ammonia and urea processes.