Africa’s largest oil refinery has achieved a landmark operational breakthrough as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit and Motor Spirit production block reached optimal performance at the facility’s full nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. Chief Executive Officer David Bird announced that following scheduled maintenance, the refinery has commenced intensive 72-hour performance test runs in collaboration with licensor UOP to validate operational efficiency against global standards.
The milestone positions the Lagos-based facility to deliver up to 75 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit to Nigeria’s domestic market daily, a significant jump from the 45-50 million liters supplied during the recent festive period. The refinery is currently operating at approximately 85% capacity and has attracted international attention as Ghana formally initiated discussions to import petroleum products from the facility.
Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority Chief Executive Godwin Kudzo Tameklo revealed at the Nigerian International Energy Summit that his country views the Dangote Refinery as a strategic partner to address domestic fuel demand that far exceeds the combined output of Ghana’s two main refineries and one small modular facility producing just 6,000 barrels per day. Group Vice President Devakumar Edwin confirmed that Nigeria requires only about 50% of the refinery’s production capacity, leaving substantial volumes available for export to West, Central, and Southern African markets. The development comes as Ghana seeks to replace monthly European fuel imports valued at $400 million, with the proximity to Nigeria promising reduced transportation costs and enhanced energy security across the West African region.
Source: allafrica.com, orientalnewsng.com