The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has set a new target for the commercial start of the Port Harcourt Refinery, announcing that operations will officially begin in September 2024.
NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, confirmed the updated timeline on Monday during a press briefing in Abuja.
This announcement marks the latest in a series of revised commencement dates for the refinery, which has faced delays despite previous assurances.
The Port Harcourt Refinery, with a combined capacity of 250,000 barrels per day, was initially slated to begin operations in March 2024.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, had previously projected an August start date. These deadlines followed several other rescheduled dates after the refinery’s mechanical completion in December 2023.
Ajiya stated that the refinery is expected to complete its testing phase before beginning to supply petroleum products to the domestic market. This new timeline aims to address previous delays and bring the refinery into full operation by September.
The repeated rescheduling of the refinery’s commencement has drawn criticism and skepticism from various stakeholders, who have been awaiting the project’s successful launch. The refinery’s operational start is seen as a crucial step toward increasing Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity and reducing dependence on imported fuel.