Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is targeting a doubling of its refining capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2029, with plans to also double its workforce.
The company’s Group Vice President, Oil and Gas and Fertiliser, Devakumar Edwin, disclosed this during a tour of the refinery in Lagos on Friday. He said basic engineering for the expansion had been completed, while most of the detailed engineering work had also been concluded.
Edwin said most of the required equipment had been ordered, while major contracts had been signed and advance payments made to contractors. He added that the expansion could be completed within three years or possibly sooner.
The expansion is expected to cost less than the refinery’s first phase because major infrastructure, including the quarry, welding-gas plant, port facilities and developed land, is already in place.
The refinery, originally designed for 650,000 bpd, is currently operating at about 700,000 bpd, according to Edwin. He said the facility was designed to process different grades of crude, including Nigerian and international crude, giving it flexibility in sourcing feedstock.
Edwin said about 95 per cent of the refinery’s output is designed to comprise high-value products, including petrol, diesel and aviation fuel, while the facility is configured to produce Euro 5 and Euro 6-standard petroleum products for domestic and international markets.
The refinery currently exports petrol, aviation fuel and diesel to markets in the United States, Europe and other regions, while the expansion will increase production of petrochemicals such as linear alkyl benzene, base oil and polypropylene.
More than 70 per cent of the refinery is automated, with major processing operations controlled from the main control room.
The expansion comes as Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals seeks to raise about ₦2.15 trillion through its ongoing initial public offering (IPO), with the proceeds expected to support the expansion programme.
