Africa’s largest oil processing plant, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has attained its peak output of 650,000 barrels per day, marking a worldwide first for a single-train facility of this magnitude and paving the way for Nigeria to shed its reliance on imported fuels.
The achievement, announced Wednesday, stems from fine-tuning the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit and gasoline production sections, allowing uninterrupted full-scale operations. A 72-hour evaluation with tech partner UOP is underway to confirm performance benchmarks.
Refinery head David Bird lauded the feat as a testament to engineering prowess: “Our teams have demonstrated exceptional precision and expertise in stabilising both the CDU and MS Block, and we are pleased to see them functioning at optimal efficiency.”
He added: “This milestone underscores the strength, reliability, and engineering quality that define our operations. We remain committed to producing high-quality refined products that will transform Nigeria’s energy landscape, eliminate import dependence, and position the nation as a net exporter of petroleum products.”
Key components like the naphtha hydrotreater, isomerisation, and reformer are now at maximum, with follow-up assessments for other units slated for next week.bc0625 Over the holidays, the site dispensed 45-50 million litres of petrol daily, with capacity to hit 75 million litres for local needs.
Experts project annual forex savings of $10 billion, job creation in the thousands, naira fortification, and bolstered regional fuel stability. The refinery could slash refined imports by over 80 percent, curb shortages, steady prices, and ramp up petrochemical and fertiliser yields.
Sprawling across 6,180 acres in Lagos’ Lekki Free Trade Zone, the complex draws crude via a 1,100-kilometre underwater pipeline. Owner Aliko Dangote revealed last October ambitions to double capacity to 1.4 million bpd, eclipsing India’s Jamnagar plant, while expanding into chemicals like linear alkylbenzene and base oils, and lifting polypropylene to 1.5 million tonnes yearly.
