NextChem to conduct feasibility study on low-carbon fertilizers

Italian engineering group Maire Tecnimont has announced that its subsidiary NextChem, specializing in sustainable technology solutions, has been awarded a feasibility study and pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) contract by FertigHy for the use of NX Stami green ammonia and NX Stami nitric acid technologies.

The FertigHy consortium was established in 2023 and is made up of a cross-value chain shareholder portfolio, including EIT InnoEnergy, RIC Energy, Maire, Siemens Financial Services, InVivo and Heineken, to drive the continued decarbonization of the European economy.

The first plant, scheduled to start construction in 2027 in France, will produce 500,000 tons of low-carbon nitrogen fertilizer per year using hydrogen obtained from renewable low-carbon electricity. FertigHy plans to replicate this integrated concept in other European countries, which could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1 million tons per year from a single plant.

Alessandro Bernini, CEO of Maire, said: “The fertilizer industry is a strategic sector for all countries’ economies and we are proud to contribute to sustainable development in Europe and around the world. Maire offers technological solutions to the fertilizer business using an integrated approach, from project development to execution capabilities, helping the industry to achieve the decarbonization targets required by EU regulations.”