The board of SABIC Agri-Nutrients (SABIC AN) approved the final investment decision for the SAN-7 ammonia and urea complex in Saudi Arabia on September 9. The company awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to Samsung E&A. SABIC’s September 10 release says the project will include an ammonia plant with annual capacity of 1.2 million metric tonnes and two urea plants with combined capacity of 2.6 million metric tonnes a year. The complex will also include a carbon-capture unit.

When completed, the project is expected to raise SABIC AN’s urea production capacity from 4.8 million to 7.4 million tonnes per year, a 54% increase according to the company. Construction is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2026; commissioning is expected in the third quarter of 2030, followed by commercial production in the fourth quarter. These are company targets, and production has not started.

Samsung E&A’s September 11 release valued the EPC contract at KRW 4.7 trillion, approximately US$3.5 billion. This is the engineering and construction contract value, not a stated total project cost. SABIC AN linked the expansion to fertilizer supply and global food-security objectives.