Kaduna refinery to resume operations 2024 ending, says Heineken Lokpobiri

Heineken Lokpobiri, the minister of state for petroleum resources (Oil), has revealed that the ongoing quick-fix project at the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Limited (KRPC) will be back on stream by the end of 2024.

The minister disclosed this during an inspection tour of Kaduna Refinery & Petrochemicals while assessing the progress of work on the ongoing quick-fix project of the refinery on Saturday.

Lokpobiri said he is confident that the refinery will be restreamed by the end of 2024, considering the ‘significant level of progress’ he has witnessed on the tour.

The minister, who observed that he would continue to hold key players involved in the rehabilitation process of the nation’s refineries accountable, also pledged Federal Government support in ensuring the timely delivery of the project.

According to the minister, there is an urgent need to get the refinery back on stream for the nation’s economic prosperity and energy security, which are both paths to sustainable development.

Read also: Kaduna refinery to drive local content by turning to Nigerian engineers

Earlier in his remarks, Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer of NNPC Ltd., reassured the minister that the fuel plant at the refinery will be delivered by the end of 2024.

Kyari said that all hands are on deck to bring the refinery back on stream, stressing that the contractor has since mobilised to the site and the needed equipment for the quick-fix activities is already in place.

“We are very confident that we will get the appropriate financing to get to the end of it, and ultimately, we will start to deliver value to Nigerians again,” he said.

“We plan the quick fix for 60,000 barrels per day so that we can start making money from this plant and we can continue the other part of the refinery to bring it up to its full-fledged capacity.

Read also: NNPC budgets $741m to revamp Kaduna refinery

“This will also tally with the completion of the Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) on the pipeline so as to have a reliable pipeline delivery infrastructure.”