The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery is over 90% complete.
This update was provided on Monday by the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, during a facility inspection by leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Rivers State.
The Port Harcourt refinery, with a total capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpd), has undergone a protracted rehabilitation process marred by delays and missed deadlines. Phase one of the project, which includes the activation of a 60,000 bpd production capacity, was finally launched after years of inactivity.
The refinery’s overhaul began in 2021 following the federal government’s approval of a $1.5 billion contract to restore the facility, which had fallen into disrepair over the years.
Initially, NNPCL refrained from disclosing the production volumes of petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and naphtha expected from the facility, prompting public criticism for the lack of transparency. In response, the company later revealed that the refinery was producing 1.4 million litres of petrol daily—a figure widely regarded as insufficient relative to the nation’s demand.
The development is expected to bolster Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity, reducing the country’s reliance on fuel imports.
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