Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery to begin full capacity tests in February

Nigeria’s 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) Dangote refinery is expected to begin test runs at full nameplate capacity this month after maintenance on its Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) is completed, according to comments made by a senior executive on February 4.

Once test runs begin, the plant will be able to move towards more reliable, year-round operation – a notable improvement following ongoing uncertainty around the plant’s maintenance schedule and performance.

On the route towards full capacity, Dangote has been running at between 450,000 and 480,000 bpd. Increasing this to 650,000 bpd should help the $20bn plant ease pressure on the country’s currency by reducing demand for the dollar. It will also likely change regional oil flows as the refinery becomes the continent’s dominant producer, according to Hydrocarbon Processing.

Despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria still relies heavily on fuel imports, and Dangote will play a large role in reducing this dependence.

Regarding progress towards full capacity, Dangote Refinery’s managing director, David Bird, said that he expected the facility to run consistently this year. “We've now completed the maintenance we planned on our critical equipment, and in February, we will conduct performance test runs at full capacity.” He said, underscoring that: “This is the year we sustain full nameplate capacity.” Bird continued to note that the refinery also had enough of a design margin to increase capacity to 700,000 bpd once its performance had been showcased to insurers.

The executive remarked: “I don't want it misunderstood – our insurance today is 650,000 bpd, but we think the design can support 700,000, and we will engage the insurance market once we prove that.”

Bird also assured that it was normal for large greenfield refineries to go through a ramp-up period of 18 to 24 months following initial startup before continuing into more predictable commercial operation, and said that early maintenance had been conducted to “iron out all the bugs,” and that the crude distillation unit had been operating reliably and safely non-stop since January 2024.