The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has achieved a major operational breakthrough, becoming the first refinery in the world to run its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Motor Spirit (MS) production block at a combined capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
The milestone follows the successful completion of a scheduled maintenance programme on both units, after which the refinery commenced a 72-hour performance test run in collaboration with its technology licensor, UOP. The tests are aimed at confirming operational stability, efficiency and compliance with global performance standards.
Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Refinery, David Bird, said the achievement reflects the strength of the facility’s engineering design and the competence of its operations team.
“Our teams have shown exceptional precision and technical expertise in stabilising the CDU and MS Block. This performance testing phase allows us to validate the entire plant under real operating conditions, and we are encouraged by the results so far,” Bird said.
He explained that the CDU and MS Block, which include the naphtha hydrotreater, isomerisation unit and reformer unit, are now operating steadily at full nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
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Bird added that the success of the test run underscores the refinery’s readiness to deliver consistent, world-class output capable of meeting domestic fuel demand and supporting Nigeria’s goal of becoming a net exporter of petroleum products.
He further disclosed that other processing units in the refinery will begin their respective performance test runs under Phase 2 of the programme, scheduled to commence next week.
During the recent festive period, the refinery supplied between 45 million and 50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily to the local market. With the CDU and MS units now fully optimised, the refinery is positioned to deliver up to 75 million litres of PMS per day, depending on market requirements.
Bird expressed appreciation to customers and Nigerians for their support, reaffirming the company’s commitment to strengthening the nation’s energy security, reducing dependence on fuel imports and promoting industrial growth, job creation and economic diversification.