The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reached its full nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day following the restoration and optimisation of its Crude Distillation Unit and Motor Spirit production block, marking what the company describes as a global first for a single-train refinery of its scale.
In a statement on Wednesday, the firm said the development signals a critical phase in the ramp-up of Africa’s largest oil refining facility, with the refinery commencing a 72-hour intensive performance test run in collaboration with its licensor, UOP, to validate operational stability, efficiency and compliance with global standards.
The refinery stated that the milestone followed a scheduled maintenance exercise on the Crude Distillation Unit and MS Block, after which both units were fully stabilised and optimised for steady-state operations.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, David Bird, said the seamless integration of the units underscores the refinery’s engineering depth 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,” he said.
According to him, the CDU serves as the primary processing unit in a refinery, separating crude oil into various fractions, while the MS Block—comprising the naphtha hydrotreater, isomerisation unit and reformer unit—upgrades intermediate streams into high-octane petrol blend components.
According to Bird, all three components of the MS Block are now operating steadily at the full 650,000 bpd capacity, effectively stabilising petrol production output.
He added that the remaining processing units across the refinery will commence their own performance test runs under Phase 2 next week, signalling the final stages of technical validation across the integrated complex.
Beyond the engineering milestone, the refinery also highlighted its “growing contribution” to domestic fuel supply.
“During the recent festive period, it supplied between 45 million and 50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit daily to the Nigerian market,” it was said.
With the CDU and MS Block now fully restored and optimised, the company stated that it is positioned to deliver up to 75 million litres of PMS daily as required, a volume it said could significantly reshape domestic supply dynamics and reduce pressure on imports.
The announcement comes amid sustained national focus on energy security, foreign exchange conservation and the push to end Nigeria’s long-standing dependence on imported refined petroleum products despite being a major crude oil producer.
The company expressed appreciation to customers and Nigerians, reiterating its commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s energy security and supporting industrial development, employment generation and economic diversification.
Recall that the Dangote refinery is planning to double capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day in the next three years.