“This milestone underscores the strength, reliability, and engineering quality that define our operations,” – David Bird, CEO
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has officially restored and optimised its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Motor Spirit (MS) production block, achieving a historic operational milestone of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd). This marks the facility as the first refinery in the world to reach this level of sustained output, according to Chief Executive Officer, David Bird.
The milestone follows a scheduled maintenance exercise, after which the refinery conducted a 72-hour performance validation test in collaboration with licensor UOP. Bird highlighted that the tests confirm the refinery’s units meet global engineering and operational standards, reinforcing the facility’s reliability and efficiency.
“This achievement demonstrates the exceptional precision and expertise of our teams. With the CDU and MS Block now operating at full capacity, the refinery is firmly on track to deliver consistent, world-class output,” Bird stated.
The refinery’s full-capacity operation positions it to supply up to 75 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily to the Nigerian market, a significant increase from the 45–50 million litres supplied during the recent festive season. Analysts note that this will substantially reduce import dependence and strengthen Nigeria’s energy security.
Bird also reiterated the refinery’s broader impact on industrial growth, job creation, and economic diversification, affirming its strategic role in transforming the nation’s energy landscape.
Phase 2 of the refinery’s operational ramp-up will see all remaining processing units begin performance test runs next week, further cementing Dangote Refinery’s role as Africa’s largest and most advanced oil refining facility.
