The Dangote Petroleum Refinery is undergoing upgrade to increase its nameplate capacity from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 700,000bpd.
Aliko Dangote, confirmed his while speaking during a tour of the facility in Lekki, Lagos State. Africa’s richest man expressed confidence that the ongoing enhancements would boost output beyond initial projections.
Also read; First Holdco clarifies rumour on Otedola/FG share acquisition
He further explained that the upgrade, which is expected to conclude in the fourth quarter of 2025, has limited the refinery’s current ability to operate at full capacity.
“Our RFCC [Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit] is at 85 per cent. We’re not at 100 per cent because of ongoing modifications. Once completed, we expect to hit 700,000bpd. Some other units are even running at 145 per cent capacity,” Dangote said.
The RFCC unit, a critical component in converting heavy crude into lighter, more valuable products such as gasoline and diesel, is central to the refinery’s operation.
Dangote disclosed that the refinery had purchased 19 million barrels of crude oil from the United States between June and July, with U.S. imports now accounting for 55 per cent of its feedstock needs. “This month alone, we bought 10 million barrels from the U.S.,” he revealed.
“Building a refinery is not like building a house. If I had known the challenges ahead, I probably wouldn’t have started. But we pushed through, and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved,” he said.
He also spoke candidly about the global politics of energy, noting that many African countries — apart from Algeria and Libya — still rely on imported fuels, making the refinery project all the more vital.
Dangote accused some foreign actors of undermining African industries through strategic importation, referencing the clustering of fuel tankers at ports like Lome. “This is how they attack our industries. Even in South Africa, only one refinery is still operating. We took the risk, and we’re delivering,” he said.
Investogist reported that Dangote Petroleum Refinery commenced operation on Friday, 13th January, 2024.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is a 650,000 barrels per day (BPD) integrated refinery located in the Lekki Free Zone of Ibeju Lekki Lagos, Nigeria. It is Africa’s biggest oil refinery and the world’s biggest single-train facility.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
