The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reached its full designed capacity of 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd), marking what the company describes as a historic milestone and making it the first refinery globally to achieve full nameplate capacity in a single train of that scale.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the refinery said the milestone was achieved following the optimisation of its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Motor Spirit (MS) production block, further strengthening steady-state operations at Africa’s largest oil refining facility.
As part of the process, the refinery has commenced an intensive 72-hour series of performance test runs in collaboration with its technology licensor, UOP, to validate operational efficiency and confirm that all critical parameters meet global standards.
What they are saying
The Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Refinery, David Bird, said the seamless integration and strong performance of the CDU and MS Block demonstrate the plant’s advanced engineering and operational resilience.
- “Our teams have demonstrated exceptional precision and expertise in stabilising both the CDU and MS Block, and we are pleased to see them functioning at optimal efficiency. This performance testing phase enables us to validate the entire plant under real operating conditions. We are confident that the refinery remains firmly on track to deliver consistent, world-class output.
- “This milestone underscores the strength, reliability, and engineering quality that define our operations. We remain committed to producing high-quality refined products that will transform Nigeria’s energy landscape, eliminate import dependence, and position the nation as a net exporter of petroleum products.”
According to Bird, the CDU and MS Block — which include the naphtha hydrotreater, isomerisation unit, and reformer unit — are now operating steadily at the full nameplate capacity of 650,000 bpd.
He added that the remaining processing units will begin their respective performance test runs in Phase 2, scheduled to commence next week.
The refinery also disclosed that it supplied between 45–50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily during the recent festive period. With the CDU and MS Block fully restored, it says it can now comfortably deliver up to 75 million litres of PMS daily to the domestic market as required.
Why it matters
The 650,000 bpd Dangote Refinery is widely seen as a transformative project for Nigeria’s energy sector. It is designed to significantly reduce, and potentially eliminate, the country’s long-standing reliance on imported refined petroleum products.
Analysts estimate that full operation of the refinery could help Nigeria save up to $10 billion annually in foreign exchange, while generating thousands of direct and indirect jobs, strengthening the naira, and improving regional energy security.
By reducing the need to import over 80% of refined products, the refinery is also expected to stabilise fuel supply, reduce price volatility, and end recurring fuel shortages and long queues.
Beyond fuels, the complex is positioned to boost downstream industrial growth, including petrochemicals and fertiliser production, with broader positive implications for Nigeria’s GDP.
What you should know
The refinery is located on a 6,180-acre (2,500-hectare) site at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos and is supplied by a 1,100-kilometre subsea pipeline network.
In October 2025, Aliko Dangote announced plans to expand the refinery’s capacity from 650,000 bpd to 1.4 million bpd. Once completed, the expanded facility would surpass India’s 1.36 million bpd Jamnagar refinery, currently the largest in the world.
The planned expansion will also support additional petrochemical investments, including linear alkylbenzene and base oils production, while increasing annual polypropylene output from one million to 1.5 million metric tonnes.
