The Kaduna Refinery in the Republic of Nigeria is expected to return to operation by the end of 2024, according to Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.
The refinery had been idle for years but currently undergoing rehabilitation to bring it back to life.
Speaking after inspecting the progress of work last Saturday, Lokpobiri said he is confident that the refinery would be restreamed by the end of 2024, considering the “significant level of progress.”
The Minister, who observed that he would continue to hold key players involved in the rehabilitation process of the nation’s refineries accountable, also pledged the Federal Government’s support in ensuring the timely delivery of the project.
According to the Minister, there is an urgent need to get the refinery back on stream for the nation’s economic prosperity and energy security, which are both paths to sustainable development.
Earlier in his remarks, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mele Kyari, reassured the Minister that the fuel plant at the refinery would be delivered by the end of 2024.
Kyari said that all hands are on deck to bring the refinery back on-stream, stressing that the contractor had since mobilised to the site and the needed equipment for the quick-fix activities was already in place.
“We are very confident that we will get the appropriate financing to get to the end of it, and ultimately, we will start to deliver value to Nigerians again. We plan the quick fix for 60,000 barrels per day so that we can start making money from this plant and we can continue the other part of the refinery to bring it up to its full-fledged capacity. This will also tally with the completion of the Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) on the pipeline to have a reliable pipeline delivery infrastructure,” he stated.
The inspection tour, which was preceded by the 14th Refineries Rehabilitation Steering Committee Meeting, also had in attendance NNPC Limited’s Executive Vice President, Downstream, Adedapo Segun; Executive Vice President, Upstream, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan; Managing Directors of the three refineries; and a host of other members of the Committee.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
