The inauguration of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos State marks a momentous occasion that fills Nigeria with pride and holds immense potential for revolutionizing the country’s petroleum industry.
Today, President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the refinery, which stands as Africa’s largest oil refinery and the world’s largest single-train facility. The significance of this venture extends beyond national borders, as it promises to create numerous employment opportunities for Nigeria’s burgeoning population.
To shed light on the refinery’s remarkable features, here are 21 essential facts that every interested individual should know:
- Situated in Ibeju, Lagos, the refinery occupies an expansive land area of approximately 2,635 hectares.
- It stands as the world’s largest single-train petroleum refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, accompanied by a 900 KTPA Polypropylene Plant.
- The refinery operates using a powerful 435 MW Power Plant.
- At full capacity, it has the ability to fulfill 100% of Nigeria’s refined product requirements while also generating surplus for export.
- The refinery is designed to process 100% Nigerian crude oil and exhibits flexibility to handle other types of crude.
- With its self-sufficient marine facility, the refinery optimizes freight capabilities and boasts the world’s largest single order of five SPMs (Single Point Mooring) systems.
- The diesel and gasoline produced by the refinery adhere to Euro V specifications.
- The refinery’s design complies with emission and effluent standards set by the World Bank, US EPA, European norms, and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
- It incorporates state-of-the-art technology, ensuring efficiency and environmental compliance.
- The refinery is engineered to process a wide range of crudes, including African, Middle Eastern, and US Light Tight Oil.
- A staggering 65 million cubic meters of sand were dredged for the project, costing approximately €300 million, utilizing the largest dredgers globally.
- Over 1,200 units of various equipment were acquired to enhance local capacity for on-site operations.
- The Dangote Group procured 332 cranes to bolster equipment installation capabilities.
- In addition, the world’s largest granite quarry was established to supply coarse aggregate, stone column material, stone base, stone dust, and material for breakwater, boasting a production capacity of 10 million tonnes per year.
- To facilitate the transport of oversized cargoes closer to the site, the Dangote Group developed a port and constructed two quays with a load-bearing capacity of 25 tonnes per square meter.
- Furthermore, two additional quays were constructed to accommodate Panamax vessels for export and two quays for handling liquid cargoes.
- The port, when complete, will encompass a total of six quays, including a roll-on/roll-off quay.
- During the civil works phase, an astounding 700 piles were drilled on certain days, resulting in a cumulative total of 250,000 piles.
- The refinery boasts an impressive capacity of 177 tanks, capable of storing 4.742 billion liters.
- Dangote Group stands as one of the few companies globally executing a Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical complex directly as an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Contractor.
- As part of the project’s comprehensive approach, 900 young engineers received training in refinery operations abroad, with mechanical engineers trained at the GE University in Italy and process engineers receiving six months of training by Honeywell/UOP.
The completion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery signifies a remarkable milestone for Nigeria, propelling the nation towards transformative growth in the petroleum sector.