On January 12, 2024, the Dangote refinery in Nigeria started the production of diesel and aviation fuel, according to an from the Dangote Group.
The newly built refinery was commissioned in May 2023, after years of delays and cost overruns. Afterof 1 million barrels from Agbami oil field in Nigeria in November 2023, the refinery is expected to initially process 350,000 barrels per day into diesel, aviation and liquified petroleum gas (LPG). At full scale production, the refinery will increase to process 650,000 barrels per day using crude oil sourced from Nigeria, but also from the Middle East and the U.S. This represents the production capacity from a refinery in Africa so far. The production of Euro V equivalent gasoline (conforming to Europe's emission standard) is also planned and expected to start in the second half of 2024. Initially, lower-quality refined products are expected to be produced.
The Nigerian government anticipates the country's reliance on fuel imports will be alleviated by this new refinery. Nigeria is one of the biggest oil producers in Africa; however it has had to import its crude oil to be refined, due to a lack of capacity at its existing refineries, some of which have needed refurbishment in recent years. At full production capacity, the refined products are expected to fully meet Nigeria’s energy demand and any surplus will be exported to other markets in Africa, as well as in Latin America and Europe, if Europe’s emission standards are met.
For more information on emission standards, please refer to the SGS INSPIRE reports and .