Hichilema Commissions United Capital Fertilizer’s $1B Chemical Complex in Zambia
On 16 October 2025, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema officially commisssioned the United Capital Fertilizer’s (UCF) complex with an annual production capacity of 300,000 tonnes. Located in the Chilanga Wonderful Industrial Park, the Complex necessitated a cumulative investment of USD 923 million. Other than the urea plant, the complex also 1ammonia plant with an annual capacity for 180,000 tonnnes and a 85-MW power plant.
China National Chemical Engineering Corporation (CNCEC) acted as the main #EPC contractor on the fertilizer complex. On the eve of the inauguration, the CNCEC (SSE: 601117) Chairman MO Dingge accompanied by executives of Wonderful Group, the parent company of UCF, paid a courtesy visit to President Hakainda Hichilema to brief the Zambian side on the involvement of his company in the Chilanga Complex as well as its future plans.
During his address, President Hichilema described the inauguration as a triple celebration as he officially launched the urea plant, the thermal power plant, and the Wonderful Industrial Park in Chilanga. He underlined that the Complex has created more than 3,000 jobs. He looks forward to the chemical complex producing chemicals needed for the mining industry to carry out local value addition (#LVA).
“On this site, we will produce fertilizer for our consumption and for export to our neighbouring countries. This means #FoodSecurity through increased yields on our farms.”
Zambia President Hakainde Hichilema
For his part, the Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Chipoka Mulenga, commended UCF for its community development initiatives. Indeed, UCF has set up a school for 300 students, has upgraded a community clinic, and has also built an 8-km road.
The Groundbreaking Ceremony for the urea plant took place in April 2023 and the estimated cost for the Complex at the time was USD 600 million. Out of the 85-MW capacity, 45 MW will be used to power the plant while the remaining 40 MW will be fed into the grid.
UCF is owned by the Wonderful Group of Companies from China. On that occassion, Wonderful Group and Wuhuan Engineering, a subsidiary of CNCEC, signed an agreement to extend the partnership to the 2nd phase, which will require a further USD 1.4 billion. When completed, the 2nd phase will upgrade the production capacity to 1.6 million tonnes and add another 300 MW of power generation capacity.
In 2024, Zambia imports nearly 800,000 tonnes of fertilizer every year, making it the 3rd largest importer after Ethiopia and Kenya. The breakdown of Zambian fertilizer imports is as follows: Urea 36%, NPK 15.3%, ammonium phosphate 10.7%,ammonium sulfate 9.5%, and muraite of potash 8.3%.
UCF ambitions to sell its products not only to the local Zambian market, but is also eyeing the regional #SADC market. Target countries include Botswana, DR Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.