There is an outlook that Samsung E&A will sharply increase orders this year in the clean energy (New Energy) field. Having long focused on petrochemical projects, Samsung E&A is accelerating a business reshuffle to build facilities that produce clean energy, such as biodegradable plastics, low-carbon methanol and blue ammonia. Some project that the company will win the contract in the first half for equipment for the world's largest low-carbon methanol plant in Mexico and that its annual order intake in clean energy will exceed 10 trillion won this year. That would surpass by nearly 4 trillion won the company's total institutional sector order intake as of the end of last year.
As of the 27th, according to the financial investment industry and the construction industry, Samsung E&A is pursuing nine overseas orders related to clean energy. Most are large-scale projects worth $2 billion (about 2.85 trillion won) to $3.5 billion (about 4.98 trillion won).
The project drawing the most attention in the industry is the "Pacifico Mexinol low-carbon methanol plant" underway in Sinaloa, Mexico. This project is the world's largest plant producing 2.15 million tons of low-carbon methanol annually, with plans to produce 1.8 million tons of blue methanol and 350,000 tons of green methanol, respectively. Unlike gray methanol based on fossil fuels, blue methanol and green methanol are eco-friendly fuels that reduce carbon emissions. Blue methanol is produced using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, and green methanol uses biomass or green hydrogen produced from renewable energy (e-methanol). Both are drawing attention as marine fuels, among other uses.
Kang Kyung-tae and Hwang Hyun-jung, researchers at Korea Investment & Securities Co., said in a report published on the 20th that "after the launch of the new energy institutional sector, a large-scale EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) order is imminent." Shin Dong-hyun, a researcher at Hyundai Motor Securities, also said, "This is a project that Samsung E&A has been collaborating on with the client for a long time, and it is proceeding as a negotiated contract rather than a competitive bid, so there are no competitors other than Samsung E&A." It means the likelihood of an award via a negotiated contract has increased in the first half.
The United Arab Emirates' "Falcon PLA Project" ($2 billion) for biodegradable plastics and Saudi Arabia's "SAN-6 blue ammonia project" ($3.5 billion) are also clean energy projects that could be awarded this year. Biodegradable plastic (PLA) is an eco-friendly plastic made from raw materials extracted from corn, sugarcane and the like, and unlike conventional plastics, it easily decomposes in nature under certain conditions. The project will build a plant producing 80,000 tons of PLA annually in the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, and Samsung E&A signed a Pre-EPC (pre-works for engineering, procurement and construction) contract with the client, Emirates Biotech, in April last year. An industry official said, "Signing a Pre-EPC does not necessarily mean an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction), which is the actual award contract, will be concluded, but it is true that there is a possibility of a contract."
Saudi Arabia's "SAN-6 blue ammonia project" began competitive bidding in 2024. It is a large-scale hydrogen and ammonia plant construction project promoted by the state-run chemical company SABIC. Blue ammonia emits less carbon when burned, so co-firing it with coal in power generation can reduce carbon emissions. Samsung E&A is competing with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) of India and JGC of Japan, and the market expects the bidding results to be disclosed within the year. The total size of the three projects in Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the UAE is $7.5 billion (about 10.68 trillion won).
Samsung E&A is focusing on strengthening its competitiveness in clean energy. Starting in 2025, the company changed its business portfolio, previously divided into petrochemical and non-petrochemical, to ▲ petrochemical ▲ advanced industry ▲ New Energy (clean energy). The company's total new orders in 2025 were 635.67 billion won, of which clean energy accounted for 54.1%. Samsung E&A presented a 12 trillion won order target (guidance) for this year.
Kim Ki-ryong, a researcher at Mirae Asset Securities, said, "Samsung E&A is pursuing a strategy to further segment the new energy field than before to strengthen competitiveness and is actively seeking overseas orders," adding, "These efforts have created expectations that overseas orders in the clean energy field will increase."