Dangote Refinery Plans Upscale of Capacity to 700,000 Barrels Per Day

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos is undergoing a modification process to increase its capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 700,000 barrels per day.

The upgrade, expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year, will add 50,000 barrels per day to the refinery’s nameplate capacity.

According to Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, the refinery’s Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit is currently operating at 85% of its capacity.

The RFCC unit is a critical component of the refinery, converting heavy residue feedstocks into lighter products such as gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas, and diesel.

Dangote revealed that the refinery has been buying significant amounts of crude oil from the United States, with 19 million barrels purchased between June and July this year. The US supplies about 55% of the refinery’s crude needs, with Dangote noting that the company bought 10 million barrels in early July.

The billionaire businessman reflected on the challenges of building the $20 billion refinery, saying that if he had known the difficulties involved, he might not have started the project. However, he expressed confidence that the completion of the facility has shown that nothing is impossible.

Dangote emphasized the importance of the refinery for Africa’s energy security, noting that many countries on the continent rely heavily on fuel imports. He also criticized foreign actors for importing fuel to undermine local industries, highlighting the need for African countries to develop their own refining capacity.