After several delays and seven postponed deadlines, the Port Harcourt Refinery has finally resumed fuel production. This marks a significant milestone for Nigeria, as the refinery promises to supply the market with about 200 trucks of fuel daily, equivalent to roughly one million liters of refined petroleum products. This long-awaited achievement is seen as a boost for the nation’s energy sector.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) unveiled the revamped refinery on Tuesday, revealing that the facility, which was previously operating at a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, has been modernized and upgraded. The refinery’s old complex is now running at 70% of its installed capacity, with plans to increase this to 90% in the near future.
Mele Kyari, NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, highlighted that the larger refinery within the Eleme complex, which boasts a capacity of 150,000 barrels per day, is still under rehabilitation. The Warri and Kaduna refineries are also undergoing refurbishment but lack a definite completion timeline due to previous missed targets.
“We will deliver all the other projects. We are not going to give a timeline as he (President Tinubu) has directed,” Kyari stated, crediting President Tinubu for his support during the project’s challenges.
Officials conducted a tour of the refinery, showcasing samples of petrol, diesel, and kerosene while demonstrating the loading of tankers at the facility’s gantry. According to NNPCL, the Port Harcourt Refinery will release about 200 trucks of petroleum products into the market each day, which is expected to ease supply shortages.
Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), expressed optimism that this development, alongside the operational Dangote Refinery, would ensure sufficient fuel availability nationwide. He further stated that the completion of other refineries would position Nigeria as a net exporter of petroleum products, reducing its dependency on imports.
“We will see the prices of petroleum products coming down because there is ample supply,” Ahmed remarked, emphasizing how local production would encourage competition and affordability in the downstream sector.
Despite this progress, some concerns linger regarding the refinery’s actual production capabilities. Industry insiders have claimed that the facility currently lacks a catalytic platform unit essential for producing petrol, suggesting that blending crude for other products is the main activity at the moment. However, NNPCL has refuted these claims, stating that the plant incorporates global-standard blending processes to meet fuel specifications.
The rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery has also been praised by stakeholders, including petroleum marketers and community representatives, who anticipate increased job opportunities and economic activity in the region. Joseph Obele, Publicity Secretary of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, described the event as a “dream come true” after years of dormancy.
Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) spokesperson, Chinedu Ukadike, also welcomed the development, noting that it introduces healthy competition to the market. He said, “Right now, we have double sources of petroleum products. The issue of monopoly is gone. The deregulation competition has started, and we are happy.”
President Tinubu, in a statement, congratulated NNPCL on the refinery’s revival while urging the company to prioritize completing other projects. He emphasized his administration’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s energy sector and erasing the country’s reliance on imported fuel.
