LAGOS, Feb 12 – The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced that it has successfully reached and maintained its full design capacity of 650,000 barrels per day on its Crude Distillation Unit and Motor Spirit production block, marking a major operational achievement for the facility.
According to the refinery, both units are now operating at peak efficiency following a planned maintenance shutdown. The company described the development as a significant benchmark in refining operations, highlighting the scale and complexity of the integrated facility.
As part of the restart process, the refinery conducted a 72 hour performance test in collaboration with its technology licensor, UOP, to verify operational stability and ensure compliance with global performance standards.
Chief Executive Officer David Bird said the milestone reflects the robustness of the refinery’s engineering design and the technical competence of its operational teams. He noted that the successful stabilisation of the Crude Distillation Unit and the Motor Spirit Block demonstrates the reliability and quality underpinning the plant’s operations.
The Motor Spirit Block includes critical downstream components such as the naphtha hydrotreater, isomerisation unit and reformer unit, all of which are now running consistently at full nameplate capacity. Additional process units are expected to undergo their own performance validation tests in a second phase scheduled to begin next week.
During the recent festive season, the refinery supplied between 45 million and 50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit daily to the domestic market. With the key units fully restored and optimised, output capacity is projected to rise to as much as 75 million litres per day, depending on domestic demand.
The company said the development reinforces Nigeria’s push toward energy self reliance, reduced dependence on imported refined products and a stronger position as a potential net exporter within regional and global markets.
