Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has raised its crude oil processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day (bpd). This is above its installed capacity of 650,000 bpd after a performance check by its process licensors.
This is a big milestone for the refinery, known as the largest single-train petroleum refining facility in the world.
In a statement on Thursday, Anthony Chiejina, the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Group, said the increase shows the refinery's ability to handle more feedstock while improving performance across its production units.
Devakumar Edwin, the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, said the increase is part of a bigger plan to boost capacity to 1.4 million bpd in the next 30 months.
Mr Edwin mentioned that this expansion could make the facility one of the largest refining complexes globally. It also supports Nigeria's goal for energy self-sufficiency.
“The refinery’s growth path shows a clear move toward leading in refining on the continent and globally, not just for local supply,” he stated.
The news about reaching the 700,000 capacity comes shortly after the refinery's CEO shared that this production target would be met by 2028.
On Tuesday, during the S&P Global Energy Middle East Petroleum and Gas Conference in London, CEO David Bird said the refinery is now at full nameplate capacity and is planning a "ruthless replication" strategy to raise output.
“We will bring 700,000 barrels per day of fully complex refining capacity on stream by the end of 2028,” he said. He added that they have already bought long-lead equipment and are awarding construction contracts.
He also mentioned that the group could eventually raise refining capacity to 2.1 million bpd with plans for another refinery in East Africa. This would position the company as a major player in global crude and refined product markets.
“Nigeria has gone from fuel scarcity to having plenty of fuel since the Dangote refinery began operations,” Mr Bird said.
According to Kpler data from last month, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery exported about 57 million barrels of jet fuel between April 2024 and April 2026.
The data showed that exports increased from about 20,000 barrels per day in April 2024 to around 65,000 barrels per day by the end of that year. They peaked at about 160,000 barrels per day during the review period.
These figures highlight the growing importance of refined petroleum exports in Nigeria’s energy sector, especially aviation fuel. The country wants to boost local refining capacity and reduce reliance on imports.
Owned by Aliko Dangote, the refinery started producing fuel in 2024 and has since expanded output to include petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, and other refined products.
The company said the facility now supplies both local and international markets, exporting refined products to several African countries and European destinations like the UK, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Refined products from the facility have even reached the US, while jet fuel exports have gone to Saudi Arabia.
Dangote Industries argued that the refinery has helped stabilize regional fuel markets amid supply issues linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. More African countries are turning to this facility for energy security.
The rising output has strengthened the refinery's position in global fuel markets.
The company pointed out that the facility became the world’s largest exporter of jet fuel in April, according to data from S&P Global Commodities.
Industry experts say the refinery has already helped reduce Nigeria’s need for imported petroleum products. This has eased pressure on foreign exchange demand and improved local fuel availability.
As production increases, the refinery has also drawn more interest from international crude suppliers and traders, sourcing feedstock from local and foreign producers to meet rising demand.
Dangote Industries expects the planned expansion to 1.4 million bpd by 2028 to bring wider economic benefits, including job creation, increased industrial activity, and better trade balances.
The refinery also aims to boost downstream industrialization through more supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), polypropylene, and other industrial feedstocks used in manufacturing.
Plans include producing Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB), a key raw material for detergent manufacturing, to help grow the country’s petrochemical value chain.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇