Finally, Dangote Refinery, world’s largest single train refinery has been commissioned today, Monday, May 22, 2022 in Lagos State, Nigeria. The 650,000 barrels per day oil processing facility is expected to deliver millions of litres of refined petroleum products daily. The refinery, which will process crude oil grades from the three continents of Africa, Asia and America will enable Nigeria to meet her 100 percent fuel supply requirement.

The event, headlined by the President, Muhammadu Buhari with leaders of governments and business in attendance. Indeed, the state-of-the-art oil facility has the capacity to support the establishment of 26,716 fillings stations, and likewise create about 100,000 direct and indirect jobs. Also, it is reported to have the potential of contributing US$21billion for Nigerian crude oil annually. The facility is located in Dangote Industries Free Zone, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and it is an industrial plant that transforms crude oil into various usable petroleum products such as diesel, gasoline, jet fuel and kerosene. The facility is approximately about 2,635 hectares in size and it will produce Euro-V quality gasoline and diesel, including jet fuel and polypropylene.

Notably, the facility was designed to process a large variety of crudes including many of the African crudes, some of the Middle Eastern crudes and the United States Light Tight Oil. According to the statement issued by the company, the refinery could meet 100 percent of Nigeria’s domestic requirement of all liquid products, including gasoline (petrol), diesel, kerosene and aviation jet, and would also have a surplus of each of these products for export.

It stated further that the refinery was designed to use the latest technology to comply with stringent guidelines and regulations to protect the local environment, and at the same time produce the latest environmentally friendly petroleum products for worldwide markets. On fuel requirements in Nigeria and supply from the refinery, the document showed that the facility would produce a daily surplus of 38 million litres of petrol, kerosene, aviation fuel and diesel; while also producing a surplus of about 20 million litres of petrol daily, a surplus of one million litres of kerosene daily, a surplus of one million litres of JetA1 daily, and a surplus of 16 million litres of diesel daily.

Also, for product evaluation, the refinery’s dispatch facilities by road (tanker) for the product (gasoline, diesel, kerosene/jet fuel, propane and slurry) is up to 80 percent of the total production and up to 75 percent through marine facilities. The refinery also has a year-round operation for road loading operation, with a total of 177 tank farms with a capacity of 4.74 billion litres, and a total tanker loading of 2,900. This number is based on a tanker capacity of 33KL. The refinery has its own dedicated steam and power generation system with adequate standby units for reliable/uninterrupted utility supply to operating plants. The power plant has a capacity of 435 MW.

Furthermore, the statement reveals that the facility has a capacity of generating over 100,000 indirect jobs at retail outlets, 26,716 filling stations and 129 depots in Nigeria, ease of availability of products by helping to open up service stations, and 16,000 trucks for transport that would create additional jobs. Also, over 30,000 were currently working at the petroleum refinery project site, through various contractors, adding that, when operational, the petroleum refinery is going to generate over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Meiza Nigeria