Dangote Refinery Set to Operate at Full Capacity, Reshaping Nigeria's Energy Landscape

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Africa's largest, is poised to reach its full production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) within the next 30 days, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria's energy sector.

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According to Edwin Devakumar, Vice President of Dangote Refinery, the facility, which began refining crude into diesel, naphtha, and jet fuel in January 2023, and later commenced petrol production in September, is currently operating at 85% capacity. "We can go 100 percent in 30 days," Devakumar stated, highlighting the refinery's steady ramp-up.

From Import Reliance to Energy Independence

Built by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, the $19 billion refinery was envisioned to reduce Nigeria's dependency on imported petroleum products. Historically, Nigeria, despite being Africa's largest oil producer, has relied heavily on fuel imports due to inadequate domestic refining capacity. The Dangote Refinery is now shifting that paradigm, with the potential to not only meet local demand but also serve regional and international markets.

However, securing sufficient crude oil has been a challenge. Despite an agreement with the Nigerian government to purchase crude in naira, the refinery initially struggled to obtain adequate supply and resorted to imports. To address this, Nigeria's oil regulator mandated local producers to prioritize crude deliveries to domestic refineries before obtaining export permits.