Techint and Saipem to Conduct Technical Evaluation for New Profertil Plant
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Techint Engineering & Construction confirmed it has been awarded a contract to carry out, together with Italy's Saipem, the technical evaluation services for a new Profertil plant in Bahía Blanca. The initiative envisages an estimated production capacity of 4,450 tonnes per day of granulated urea, equivalent to around 1.6 million tonnes per year.
Technology and project scope
According to Techint, the contract includes technologies for ammonia production, urea manufacturing and product granulation. The planned design envisages Topsoe technology for ammonia, Saipem technology for the urea plant and Thyssenkrupp Uhde technology for granulation, according to details released by comex online.
A relationship dating back to the original plant
Techint and Saipem had already worked together on the engineering, procurement and construction of Profertil's original plant in Ingeniero White more than two decades ago. Pablo Alejandro Videla Fuentes, President of the Southern Region of Downstream at Techint E&C, noted that the new project reflects the trust built between the companies and the ability of their teams to develop highly complex services alongside top-tier technology partners.
An expansion postponed for a decade
The possibility of building a second plant has been under evaluation for more than ten years and regained momentum following the growth in unconventional gas production and the change in Profertil's shareholder structure, where Adecoagro controls 90% and the Asociación de Cooperativas Argentinas (ACA) holds the remaining 10%. The estimated investment for this expansion is around USD 2,000 million, although its realization will depend on the results of the technical evaluation and a subsequent final decision.
Evaluation ahead of any investment decision
Both Techint and comex online agreed that the award corresponds solely to technical evaluation services, with an expected duration of eleven months, and that it does not in itself imply a final investment decision or the start of works. This work will allow the analysis of construction alternatives, suppliers, project characteristics and costs before Profertil decides on moving from the evaluation stage to eventual execution in Bahía Blanca.
