Saipem scures Licensing and FEED mandates from Dangote Fertilizer for Six African urea complexes

Saipem has won new technology licensing and engineering contracts from Dangote Fertilizer covering six large-scale ammonia-urea complexes in Nigeria and Ethiopia. The projects, incorporating high-capacity urea units, are set to expand Africa’s fertilizer output and strengthen regional industrial integration.

Saipem has been awarded two contracts by Dangote Fertilizer to provide proprietary technology licensing and core engineering services for six new urea production units across Nigeria and Ethiopia. The scope includes process design packages and technical documentation required to enable construction of the units within integrated ammonia-urea complexes.

The licenses cover the use of Saipem’s Snamprogetti Urea technology, a patented process platform deployed in more than 140 operating units globally. Each of the planned units will have a production capacity of 4,235 metric tons per day, positioning them among the largest single-train urea facilities developed to date.

The broader industrial program involves the development of six integrated ammonia-urea complexes - four in Nigeria and two in Ethiopia, with combined urea capacity exceeding 25,000 metric tons per day. In parallel, the companies signed a Letter of Intent for Saipem to deliver Front End Engineering Design (FEED) services for an additional Ethiopian complex in Gode, developed with Ethiopian Investment Holdings, targeting annual production of 3 million tons.

The projects are expected to strengthen fertilizer self-sufficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa, reduce import dependence, and support agricultural productivity. For engineering and technology providers, the awards signal sustained capital investment in large-scale downstream chemical infrastructure across high-growth African markets.