Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The federal government has announced that modular refineries remain the shortest and easiest way of addressing the issue of energy insufficiency and persistent scarcity of of petroleum products in the country.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Oil, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, said this while inspecting the 5,000bpd capacity Waltersmith Petroman Refinery in Ibigwe, Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, together with the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote and the CEO of Bank of Industry, Dr Olasupo Olusi, on Tuesday.
Lokpobiri assured that the Tinubu-led government was poised to ensure sufficient supplies of refined petroleum products for the consumption of Nigerians, hence he had visited the state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri, upon assumption of office.
He said “The shortest way to addressing our problem is the modular refineries, that is why I am here to see things for myself and I’m sure anybody that enters here will be very proud of what we are seeing here.
“We have seen what is going on and we would encourage WalterSmith for their new expansion which is ongoing, and we will also give them whatever support we can give as government. This government is willing to give, so that we can solve our energy problem in this country.
“The easiest way to address our energy problems is modular refineries. The success story you see here also had the collaboration of NCDMB. The biggest challenge of modular refineries are feedstock and access to funding, and we are addressing these problems that is why the Bank of Industry is also here and NCDMB is also here to take this collaboration to the next level.
“It is not enough for us to give those who have modular refinery licenses money, we need to identify those that have proven record of success, some people will take the money and divert it, but here we are physically seeing a modular refinery that is functional and, we have also seen the expansion work that is ongoing and so we will do whatever we can to support them.”
Also, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Engr Simbi Wabote described WalterSmith modular refinery as one of its success stories.
“This (Waltersmith modular refinery) was one of the first projects that we tried to catalyze, and it has been a success story. As you can see, they have produced almost 600 million liters of various products from this refinery, about 20 trucks leaves the refinery on a daily basis, you have gone round, and you have seen it’s working. It’s not every investment that you participate that is successful, this is one of the successful investments we have done.”
Also, the Chairman of Waltersmith Petroman Refinery, Mr. Abdulrazaq Isah, said plans were underway to expand the refining capacity from 5,000bpd to 40,000bpd in no distant time, adding that the refinery already was al producing diesel, kerosene, naphtha and fuel oil.
“The refinery is working, and we are expanding the capacity. We are going from 5,000 barrels per day to 10,000bpd. We are also thinking ahead, and we are targeting 40,000 bpd. We have already an engagement with NNPC Ltd, and we are also canvassing the support of the minister to get the feedstock required to take us to that 40,000 bpd required capacity. And that is where we are headed.”
