NEXTCHEM, a technology business unit of Italy-based group MAIRE, has been awarded about €210 million basic engineering and critical proprietary equipment supply contract for the low-carbon methanol project, Pacifico Mexinol, located in Sinaloa, Mexico.
As disclosed, the agreement has been signed by NEXTCHEM’s subsidiary KT Tech with Korean Samsung E&A as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.
The contract, subject to final investment decision (FID), which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2025, is said to include basic engineering and critical proprietary equipment supply based on the proprietary NX AdWinMethanol Zero technology, as well as site assistance services, support for commissioning, start-up, and operations. The NX AdWinMethanol Zero technology developed by NEXTCHEM reportedly “minimizes carbon emissions to nearly zero by converting captured CO2 and green hydrogen into ultra-low-carbon methanol.”
The Pacifico Mexinol project, worth over $3.3 billion, is being jointly developed by U.S.-based Transition Industries and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank, and will be executed by a consortium composed of third parties, NEXTCHEM revealed.
Once operational in 2029, it is expected to produce approximately 350,000 metric tons of renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) methanol and 1.8 million metric tons of low-carbon methanol from natural gas with carbon capture per year.
It is understood that the output is intended for use in a variety of sectors, including fuels and industrial materials, with volumes to be exported globally via the Port of Topolobampo.
Fabio Fritelli, Managing Director of NEXTCHEM, commented: “This landmark achievement, being the largest single award ever granted to NEXTCHEM, plays a pivotal role in our business trajectory and confirms the reliability of our sustainable technology solutions portfolio. We are honored to support this strategic initiative which is set to be a gamechanger for Mexican domestic economy, as well as for the energy transition arena globally.”
In other news, it is worth noting that in early 2025, the Italian MET Development, a subsidiary of MAIRE, and compatriots Eni and Iren Ambiente started the permitting process for a circular methanol and hydrogen production plant at Eni’s refinery in Pavia, Italy. As informed, this project will leverage NEXTCHEM’s proprietary NX Circular technology, which, reportedly, allows converting waste by generating synthesis gas (syngas).