MAIRE Wins €1.3 Billion Contract to Build Latin America’s Largest Urea Production Complex in Argentina

Italian engineering and technology group MAIRE has been awarded one of the largest industrial contracts in its history, marking its entry into Argentina’s large-scale fertilizer sector with the construction of a major ammonia and urea production complex.

The engineering, procurement, commissioning and start-up contract, valued at approximately €1.3 billion, will be executed by Tecnimont, while Nextchem will provide proprietary urea technologies for the project.

A landmark investment for Argentina’s industrial sector

The new facility will be developed within the Bahía Blanca Industrial Complex, in the province of Buenos Aires, an area that already serves as one of Argentina’s principal industrial and energy hubs.

Once operational, the complex will produce approximately 2.1 million tonnes of granular urea per year, making it the largest fertilizer plant of its kind in Latin America and significantly expanding regional production capacity. Construction is expected to take around 41 months.

Boosting regional fertilizer supply

The project is expected to play a strategic role in strengthening fertilizer availability across Latin America, a region that continues to rely heavily on imported urea to support agricultural production.

By increasing domestic manufacturing capacity, Argentina will be better positioned to supply both its own agricultural sector and neighboring export markets, helping improve supply security while supporting one of the world's largest food-producing regions.

Advanced technologies for lower-energy production

The complex will integrate a large-scale ammonia plant with two ultra-low-energy (ULE) urea production lines, incorporating advanced technologies designed to improve operational efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

Nextchem will contribute its proprietary urea licensing technology together with specialized engineering solutions, while ammonia production technology will also be incorporated into the project as part of the integrated industrial design.

Economic impact beyond construction

Beyond its industrial significance, the development is expected to generate substantial economic benefits for Argentina.

At peak construction, the project is forecast to create more than 3,500 direct jobs, in addition to thousands of indirect employment opportunities across engineering, logistics, manufacturing and supporting industries.

The investment is also expected to strengthen local supply chains and reinforce Bahía Blanca's position as one of South America's leading industrial clusters.

Expanding MAIRE’s international footprint

For MAIRE, the award represents its first large-scale industrial contract in Argentina, reinforcing the company's international expansion strategy and diversifying its presence across Latin America.

The project also highlights the group's integrated business model, combining engineering, technology licensing and industrial solutions under a single execution framework.

Supporting agricultural competitiveness

As global demand for fertilizers continues to increase, investments in new production capacity are becoming increasingly important for ensuring stable agricultural supply chains.

The Bahía Blanca complex is expected to strengthen Argentina's role as a regional fertilizer producer while supporting the competitiveness of Latin America's agricultural sector through greater local availability of nitrogen-based fertilizers.

The project also reflects growing industrial investment in Argentina's energy and manufacturing sectors, leveraging the country's natural gas resources and existing infrastructure to develop higher-value industrial production.