After years of setbacks and missed deadlines, the Port Harcourt Refinery has officially commenced fuel production. This marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported refined petroleum products.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) confirmed the news on Tuesday, with its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, announcing that the loading of fuel trucks would begin immediately. “Port Harcourt Refinery begins production. Truck loading starts today, Tuesday,” Soneye stated in a briefing.
In a separate update shared on X, NNPC said, “NNPC Ltd Delivers Port Harcourt Refinery as plant begins truckout of products today, Tuesday 26th November 2024 at 1.45 pm. Watch the commissioning and trucking out event LIVE.”
The refinery will initially produce 60,000 barrels of refined products daily, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and diesel, contributing to the Nigerian market. This makes it the second functioning refinery in the country, following the Dangote Refinery’s commencement of PMS production in September.
Established in 1965, the Port Harcourt Refinery had been non-operational for years despite its strategic location in the Niger Delta. Efforts to revive it gained momentum in March 2021 when the Nigerian government secured a $1.5 billion loan for its renovation.
For years, promises about its reopening went unfulfilled, with at least seven missed deadlines reported by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC. However, after overcoming technical challenges and risks associated with the complex rehabilitation process, NNPC resumed commissioning activities this month.
