Dangote Refinery to Begin Fuel Supply in August 2024

Aliko Dangote, the owner of Dangote Refinery, has announced August 2024 as the new date for starting fuel supply in the Nigerian market.

Dangote made this announcement on Sunday while speaking to journalists, noting that crude oil supply issues had been resolved with the assistance of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Nigerian federal government. The crude supply challenge was resolved last week after federal government intervention.

Journalists were on a guided tour of the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery located at Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos.

In addition to fuel supply, Dangote mentioned that the refinery’s fertilizer unit would resume production in two weeks, providing farmers with more access to fertilizer for their crops.

The company’s report stated: “Ramping up production to reach 500 kbpd (15 crude cargoes a month) by next August, 550 kbpd by end of the year, and 650 kbpd by Q1 2025. Gasoline production to commence in July with sales from August.”

This indicates a gradual commencement of full-scale production at the Dangote Refinery, which was commissioned on May 22, 2023. Initially, Dangote had stated that fuel supply would start in mid-July 2024.

In a related development, the company announced that NNPCL no longer holds a 20 per cent stake in the refinery but now has a 7.2 per cent stake.