Contrary to the earlier statement made by the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, assuring Nigerians that the Port Harcourt Refinery would commence operations by the end of December 2023, Kyari has now revealed that the Federal Government plans to complete the second phase of the rehabilitation project for the refinery by the fourth quarter of 2024.
Kyari made this announcement during an inspection tour of the ongoing repair works, coinciding with the 15th Refineries’ Rehabilitation Steering Committee Meeting.
The committee included the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, members of the NNPCL Board, and the Managing Director (MD) of the Port-Harcourt Refining Company Limited.
As of December 15, 2023, Kyari reported that crucial components such as 84.4% of Area-5 Plant and 77.4% of the overall rehabilitation project had been successfully completed.
He said, “In our quest to ensure that this refinery is re-streamed to continue to deliver value to Nigerians, we made a promise that we will reach a mechanical completion of phase one of the rehabilitation project by the end of December and get the other plants running in 2024. Today, we have kept those commitments,”
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“We are done with phase one. We will complete phase two as promised within 2024, maximum – the last quarter of 2024,”
During the same meeting, Ibrahim Onoja, the Managing Director of the Port-Harcourt Refinery Company, emphasized that upon the completion of the refinery’s rehabilitation, it is expected to operate for another 50 years.
He expressed confidence in the renewed plant’s longevity, stating, “This plant you see is a renewed plant that will last Nigeria for decades. We can beat our chest and say we’ve come over 50 years, and we’ll go another 50 years.”
Onoja highlighted the multifaceted benefits of the refurbished refinery, including job creation, providing feedstock for industries, generating revenue, contributing to foreign exchange, and ensuring energy security. The refinery is designed to have a capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, comprising a 60,000 bpd facility in phase one and a 150,000 bpd facility in the subsequent phase.
Additionally, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, emphasized that the Port-Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) would play a significant role in producing cooking gas, leading to a reduction in the importation of the commodity and enhancing domestic energy resources.