Source: newsthemegh.com
Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa, and the Dangote Group have been recognized by the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) for the successful commissioning of a top-notch 650,000 barrels per day refinery and petrochemicals plant in Lagos.
Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, president of ARDA and CEO of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority, stated in a press release that while the association continues to collaborate with the African Union Commission (AUC) to standardize fuel specifications across Africa, the Dangote Refinery was built from the start to produce cleaner AFRI-6 (10 ppm sulphur) fuels.
The refinery, according to Dr. Abdul-Hamid, will minimize the import of high-sulfur fuels into Africa while helping the region meet its climate goals and address public health issues.
“This strategic move by the Alhaji Dangote and the Dangote Group will also assure Africa’s energy security even as the continent’s growing energy needs are met in a sustainable manner while reducing foreign exchange spent on petroleum product imports, providing employment, and promoting a strong market for African crude oil on the continent amidst the global push away from fossil fuels,” claims Dr. Abdul-Hamid.
In addition to praising Alhaji Dangote, ARDA Executive Secretary and former NNPC COO Refining & Petrochemicals Mr. Anibor Kragha said the refinery has demonstrated the viability of sizable downstream industry investments that are essential for Africa to refine its own crude oil and develop a robust intra-African energy market in the face of worries about global geopolitics and the energy transition.
In addition, Kragha stated that it will be crucial for the continent to develop and implement a special, integrated, sustainable African Downstream Energy Transition Roadmap that will prioritize cleaner, low-sulfur fuels and carbon emissions reduction efforts in the near-term and mature, affordable renewable energy solutions later. Successful investments like the Dangote Refinery will have a positive impact on the petroleum products supply chain dynamics of various African countries, he added.
When visiting the Dangote Refinery site in November of last year, a delegation from ARDA that included the Executive Secretary and top executives from refineries and storage and distribution firms in Senegal (SAR, SENSTOCK, and Elton Oil), Cote d’Ivoire (SIR and SMB), Gabon (SOGARA), and Zambia (Indeni), as well as the Department of Hydrocarbons in the Ministry of Cote d’Ivoire and ARSE, the downstream
The commissioning of the Dangote Refinery, which took place about six months after the ARDA delegation’s visit in November, Kragha said, “serves as a testimony to the vision and tenacity of the excellent Dangote team to deliver a world-class ‘Refinery of the Future’ that prioritizes cleaner fuels and maximizes value addition via petrochemicals facilities while reducing its carbon footprint in line with global best practices.”