Port Harcourt Refinery Begins Operation in July

The long-awaited operational start of the 210,000-barrel-per-day Port-Harcourt refinery is now scheduled for the end of July. This development was disclosed on Monday by Chief Ukadike Chinedu, the National Public Relations Officer of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

This new timeline comes after several delays and aims to stimulate economic activities, reduce petroleum product prices, and ensure adequate supply. In December last year, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, announced the mechanical completion of the refinery, the largest in Port Harcourt.

The refinery consists of two units: an older plant with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day and a newer plant with a 150,000-barrel-per-day capacity. It was shut down in March 2019 for repair works overseen by Italy’s Maire Tecnimont, with Eni as the technical adviser.

In March 2024, NNPC Limited’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, indicated that the refinery would commence operations within two weeks, but this promise was not met.

IPMAN official Ukadike Chinedu emphasized that the delay has not deterred efforts to meet the new July deadline. “When we visited, the MD told us the refinery was almost ready and would start producing by the end of July. They changed all the armoured cables to brand new ones, making it almost like a new refinery,” he said.

Despite previous setbacks, Chinedu assured that no current challenges hinder the project’s completion. “The refinery is 99 per cent ready. We expect competition with the upcoming Dangote Refinery, which will benefit the nation by potentially reducing petrol prices,” he added.

The new timeline aligns with the Dangote Refinery’s plan to start petrol production by the end of June. According to Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, this refinery will meet the petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel needs of West Africa and the continent.

Nigeria, which consumes approximately 1 billion litres of petrol monthly, spends around N520 billion on PMS imports each month. The government could cut approximately N6.2 trillion from its yearly import bill if these refineries commence operations as planned.

Femi Soneye, NNPCL Chief Corporate Communications Officer, explained that the only impediment to starting operations at the Port Harcourt refinery is awaiting regulatory approvals from international bodies. “We need approvals for some materials that involve nuclear components. Once these approvals are granted, operations will begin,” Soneye confirmed.