Nitrogen+Syngas 399 Jan-Feb 2026
26 January 2026
NextChem awarded process design package
NextChem, via its nitrogen technology licensor Stamicarbon, has been awarded a licensing, process design package (PDP), and proprietary equipment supply contract based on its proprietary NX STAMI Urea™ technology, for a new urea plant in Eastern China by what NextChem describes as “a prominent fertilizer producer”.
The plant, with a capacity of 2,700 metric tons per day, will adopt Stamicarbon’s Ultra-Low Energy design. This enables a 35% reduction in steam consumption and a 16% decrease in cooling water usage compared to conventional methods, thanks to innovative high-pressure steam utilisation and advanced pool reactor design. The process also ensures very low biuret content in the final product and high-quality prills, thanks to Stamicarbon’s prilling tower design. Key equipment, including the pool reactor and stripper, will feature E-type super duplex stainless steel, leveraging Stamicarbon’s expertise in material science and industrial applications.
Fabio Fritelli, Managing Director of NextChem, commented: “This project marks the tenth global application of Ultra-Low Energy technology and the eighth in China, with seven operational plants demonstrating our benchmark role for energy efficiency in large-scale urea production. This contract further strengthens NextChem’s presence in this geography and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to enhancing the sustainability of the fertilizer sector through cutting-edge technological advancements”.
