…Diesel, aviation fuel to hit market this month
The 650,000-barrels-per-day Dangote refinery, which has started producing diesel and aviation fuel, has been variously described as “a beacon of hope for Nigeria” and an “extraordinary accomplishment”.
Femi Otedola, chairman of Geregu Power Plc; and Wale Tinubu, group chief executive of Oando Plc, lauded Aliko Dangote, president/chief executive of Dangote Group, for the start of production at the giant refinery.
Read also: Marketers to buy Dangote refinery fuel at market dollar rates
“Dangote Refinery, the world’s largest single-train petroleum refinery has started production of petroleum products. A beacon of hope for Nigeria,” Otedola said on X on Saturday. “Congratulations to my bestie Aliko Dangote.”
Tinubu also congratulated Dangote and his conglomerate on the official commencement of production.
“There is nothing more inspiring than seeing fellow Nigerians like Aliko Dangote proffering audacious solutions to some of the country’s challenges and being unafraid to be the change we want to see in the Nigeria of tomorrow,” he said on X.
This “momentous achievement not only signifies a major milestone for Nigeria but also holds immense promise” for the entire continent as well as raises the bar in global design standards, he said.
“This extraordinary accomplishment and the refinery’s impact shall continue to resonate positively for years to come,” the Oando boss added.
Late Friday, a video of the refinery roaring to life began to circulate on social media, causing excitement in many circles. On Saturday, Dangote Group announced that the plant had started producing diesel and aviation fuel.
An elated Dangote, Africa’s richest man, thanked President Bola Tinubu for his support, encouragement, and advice towards the actualisation of the project.
Read also: Dangote oil refinery begins production
He also thanked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Nigerians for their support and belief in the historic project.
“We thank President Bola Tinubu for his support and for making our dream come true. This production, as witnessed today, would not have been possible without his visionary leadership and prompt attention to detail. His intervention at various stages cleared all impediments thereby accelerating the actualisation of the project,” he said in a statement.
He said the NNPC, NUPRC, and NMDPRA have been “our dependable partners in this historic journey”.
Dangote said: “We also thank Nigerians for their belief and support in this project. We have started the production of diesel and aviation fuel, and the products will be in the market within this month once we receive regulatory approvals.
“This is a big day for Nigeria. We are delighted to have reached this significant milestone. This is an important achievement for our country as it demonstrates our ability to develop and deliver large capital projects. This is a game changer for our country, and I am very fulfilled with the actualisation of this project.”
The company said the refinery has so far received six million barrels of crude oil at its two single-point moorings located 25 kilometres from the shore. The first crude delivery was done on December 12, 2023, and the sixth cargo was delivered on January 8, 2024, it added.
It said the refinery can load 2,900 trucks a day at its truck-loading gantries, adding that the products will conform to Euro V specifications. The refinery design complies with the World Bank, US EPA, European emission norms, and the country’s oil regulator’s emission/effluent norms, employing state-of-the-art technology, according to the statement.
Read also: Elated Aliko Dangote thanks President Tinubu for feat as giant refinery roars to life in Lekki
Dangote also thanked bankers and financiers, both local and offshore, “who demonstrated a great deal of patience, in seeing us through many difficult times”.
He said: “In the same vein, we thank the Government of Lagos State, under the leadership of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who has been incredibly proactive in ensuring that the many challenges we encountered in the course of executing this project were quickly resolved. I thank him immensely.”
“I also sincerely thank our host communities and their Traditional leaders for their sustained patience, forbearance, and admirable willingness to work with us to find amicable and win-win resolutions to the many issues we have had to deal with as the construction of this huge facility progressed. Our staff have also contributed so immensely to the success of this project. I thank them profusely.”
