Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Managing Director of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, DPRP, Mr. David Bird, has said that Dangote Refinery is unlike any other Nigerian refinery but like a European/Asian merchant refinery model, set to become the world best and largest refinery amid its hybrid automation infrastructure and international best practices standards.
Mr. Bird, who stated this during a media parley with journalists and facility tour of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals complex at the Free Trade Zone, FTZ, in Lagos, said Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals was setting new standards for cleaner fuels in Africa in both short-term and long-term.
He pointed out that the refinery is a state-of-art refining, blending configuration model designed to meet modern quality fuel supply.
He explained that West Africa has been the preferred destination of inferior and substandard petroleum products for years by the foreign countries, saying that the entry of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is set to reset the standard of petroleum products distribution and supply in the African continent and beyond.
According to him, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is prioritizing to meet the local fuel demands of Nigerians by ensuring that there are no more fuel queues in the country and at the same time, prioritizing the export market by mainly sourcing crude supply to ensure interrupted operations.
The Dangote boss stressed that Dangote produces high quality fuels which are aligned with international environmental and health standards.
Mr. Bird debunked the rumour going around about the company’s fuel supply and distribution, insisting that Dangote Refinery operates under a stringent and high standard international best practices and cannot compromise by engaging in substandard or less quality fuels to Nigerians because it’s a Nigerian company but an international certified Refinery company.
He also said that Dangote Refinery has been able to solve the annual perennial petrol scarcity, being experienced especially during festive periods and other celebrations, with constant supply of petroleum products to the nation since it started operation.
While acknowledging the uniqueness of the Dangote Refinery, Bird noted that it is quite different from other refineries, as it could be distributed by sea and by land, observing all highest quality standards in the petroleum industry.
Bird who said Dangote Refinery and its Fertilizer subsidiary currently source its energy requirements internally from alternative energy -Steam and Gas Turbines, revealed that its internally sourced energy for its production and operations stand at 500 megawatts.
While he revealed that the company was focused on growth and expansion with its Vision 2030, Bird noted that the Dangote Group has plans to expand its Port situated in the same axis close to the Refinery to accommodate more ships from Brazil and other countries which come in regularly with raw materials and export its Fertilizer.
He said: “Dangote Refinery was not like any other. It is a hybrid of United States, European and Asian Merchant refinery models in Nigeria.
“Dangote Refinery combined all these with more stringent quality standards. We source about 25 crude stocks but the one from Nigeria takes the highest share of 65 percent while other sources take 35 per cent.
“Dangote Refinery is not a single trade entity, apart from petroleum we have other intermediate products from our production process such as diesel, kerosene, Jet A1, gas and other downstream products.”
Lending credence to the issue of fuel scarcity in Nigeria, Mr.Tony Chiejina, the Group Branding and Communications Manager, Dangote Group, said since his formative years in 1975, he had observed that fuel scarcity was associated with every festive season.
Chiejina emphasized that Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals means well for Nigeria, urging industry stakeholders and Nigerians to join hands together to support the oil company towards delivering on its goals and values objectives for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, especially the downstream sector.
