NEXTCHEM completes €148M Ballestra acquisition, expanding NPK fertilizer technology portfolio

NEXTCHEM has completed its €148.2M Ballestra acquisition, the MAIRE subsidiary said, closing a deal first announced in December and rounding out its fertilizer-technology portfolio across the full nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium spectrum.

The final price came in above the roughly €126.5M estimated when the agreement was signed on December 24, reflecting Ballestra’s adjusted net cash position. MAIRE placed the enterprise value at €108.2M and said the transaction formally closed on June 25.

The purchase gives NEXTCHEM full ownership of Milan-based Ballestra and its Mazzoni brand, Switzerland’s Buss ChemTech, and Ballestra Engineering and Projects in India, integrating roughly 460 process engineers. Ballestra, founded in 1960, operates in more than 120 countries and reported an order backlog of about €270M at the end of March.

For fertilizer producers, the deal extends NEXTCHEM’s licensing reach in phosphate- and potassium-based process technology, complementing its established nitrogen and urea offering from Stamicarbon. NEXTCHEM said it also opens cross-selling opportunities with Tecnimont, MAIRE’s engineering and construction arm, on new plants and revamps.

The move sharpens competition among fertilizer-technology licensors such as Casale, thyssenkrupp Uhde and Haldor Topsoe as producers weigh plant upgrades against elevated input costs.

Source: World Fertilizer