The Federal Government has said that the Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company in Rivers State has begun operations.
According to FG, the facility commenced operations on December 20, 2023, after completing the first phase of work.
It stated that the refined petroleum products will start flowing from the refinery after the Christmas break.
The government had previously stated that the refinery would begin operations before the end of 2023.
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While announcing on Thursday, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri congratulated the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Nigerians in general for the achievement.
Lokpobiri said:
“The meeting today coincides with the commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt refinery.
“This is to announce to Nigerians that in fulfillment of our pledge to complete phase one of the Port Harcourt refinery by the end of 2023, and the subsequent streaming of phase two in 2024, we happily announce the mechanical completion of flare start-up on December 20, 2023.
“This heralds the commencement of the production of petroleum products after the Christmas break. We want to thank Nigerians for their patience and trust in the NNPC to deliver on our promise and mandate in the rehabilitation of our refineries.”
Nigeria’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri have been inactive for many years, but the Federal Government has invested significant funds to revamp these facilities.
Also, Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Limited stated that the company’s employees worked tirelessly for over 9.6 million man-hours to restore the refinery to its operational state.
On April 7, 2021, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) signed a contract with Tecnimont SPA for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refining Company.
The rehabilitation program was estimated to cost $1.5 billion and was expected to be completed in three phases by 2025.
