The Federal Government has approved the construction of a 10,000 barrels per day refinery in Delta State, aiming to boost Nigeria’s refining capacity.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) issued the licence to MRO Energy Limited for the facility in Imode, Ughelli.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) granted the licence to MRO Energy Limited.
On Tuesday, the agency’s Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, officially presented the approval.
Notably, this development comes just two months after the government issued a similar licence for a 27,000bpd refinery in Dole-Wure, Gombe State.
As a result, Nigeria now has around 11 modular and conventional refineries, which would contribute to its overall refining capacity.
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However, despite the growing number of refineries, many existing facilities remain underutilised and operate below capacity.
Consequently, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has set an ambitious domestic refining target of 770,500bpd in an effort to enhance local production and reduce fuel imports.
Furthermore, earlier this month, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) revealed plans to collaborate with investors to develop a refinery with an initial capacity of 50,000bpd.
The government aims to improve energy self-sufficiency and gradually reduce the country’s reliance on imported petroleum products through its push for more refineries.
