Dangote refinery in Lagos, with a capacity of 650 barrels per day, is poised to receive the final shipment of 1 million barrels of crude oil on Monday, marking a pivotal moment for the start of operations at the facility.
This follows the plant’s receipt of its fifth delivery of Bonny Light crude oil, totaling one million barrels, from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Thursday. The Dangote Group relayed this information through a statement released on Friday.
This advancement is crucial for the refinery as it gears up to initiate operations, aiming to help Nigeria become self-reliant in petroleum products and curb the outflow of foreign exchange used for importing refined products.
The statement detailed that this fifth shipment is part of the six million barrels expected at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. It arrived on Thursday at the Single Point Mooring (SPM)-C2 Dangote Offshore Oil Terminal and has since been transferred to the refinery’s crude oil storage.
Previously, the refinery, located in the Lagos Free Trade Zone, had processed four million barrels of crude. Akin Omole, the managing director of Dangote Ports Operations, indicated at the Dangote Quay in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, that the refinery would process approximately 4 million barrels of crude by the end of 2023, with the rest arriving by early January 2024.
The full delivery of six million barrels will support the refinery’s inaugural run and kick-start the production of diesel, aviation fuel, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), eventually leading to petrol production.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to significantly mitigate fuel supply issues in Nigeria and neighboring West African nations, with a production capacity that meets and exceeds Nigeria’s needs for all refined products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and aviation jet fuel, with excess for export.
The refinery’s infrastructure includes two SPMs positioned 25 kilometers offshore for crude processing and three separate SPMs for product discharge. It is equipped to load 2,900 trucks per day and has a marine facility capable of handling the world’s largest vessels, ensuring self-sufficiency in operations. Moreover, the refinery’s products will adhere to Euro V standards.
Designed to meet the emission and effluent norms set by the US EPA, European standards, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), and the African Refiners and Distribution Association (ARDA), the refinery stands as a testament to Dangote Group’s commitment to developing and executing large capital projects. Mr. Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, expressed his enthusiasm upon receiving the first consignment, stating the group’s dedication to scaling the refinery to full capacity and eagerly anticipating the delivery of the first batch of products to the Nigerian market.
Source: businessday.ng