The long-awaited commencement of fuel production at the Port Harcourt Refinery has finally taken place after several delays, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) confirming the news to our correspondent on Tuesday, November 26, 2024.
According to NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, truck loading for fuel distribution began on the same day.
“Port Harcourt Refinery begins production. Truck loading starts today, Tuesday,” Soneye said, marking a significant step in the revitalization of the refinery. In a subsequent update on X (formerly Twitter), the NNPC added,
“NNPC Ltd Delivers Port Harcourt Refinery as plant begins truckout of products today, Tuesday 26th November 2024 at 1.45 pm. Watch the commissioning and trucking out event LIVE.”
The refinery, which has undergone extensive refurbishment, will initially operate at a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, producing a range of refined products including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and diesel.
This marks a critical development in Nigeria’s domestic refining capabilities, positioning the Port Harcourt Refinery as the second major refinery to begin petrol production after the Dangote Refinery commenced PMS production in September.
Owned by the Federal Government and managed by the NNPC, the Port Harcourt Refinery has been in operation since 1965 but had suffered years of underperformance and neglect before undergoing renovations.
In March 2021, the Nigerian government secured a $1.5 billion loan to finance the rehabilitation and modernization of the facility. However, despite earlier promises and multiple postponements, including a failed completion deadline in September, the refinery is now operational.
The delays were attributed to the complexities of rehabilitating a brownfield project of this magnitude, as explained by NNPC’s Olufemi Soneye. He stated, “As is common with brownfield projects of this scale and complexity, we encountered unforeseen risks and challenges.”
Despite these setbacks, the NNPC resumed commissioning critical equipment and process units after the mechanical completion of the project, ultimately resolving the issues and allowing production to commence.
