Africa’s rich natural resources make it the envy of many countries. However, the continent has struggled to have functional refineries to support its over one billion population.
The continent’s lack of functional refineries has made it rely heavily on imported refined petroleum products, which cost billions of dollars annually and impact its economy.
As of 2023, Africa’s combined oil production capacity is about 7.2 million barrels of crude daily.
However, the refining capacity of refineries in Africa has yet to bridge the fuel supply gap.
According to reports, Nigeria spent about $600 million in August on fuel imports.
Over the years, some African countries have taken steps to fix or even build new refineries.
According to the Refineries Watch 2024 report published by Hawilti, refineries in Africa contribute to regional energy security in addition to refined fuels.
The report disclosed that this dependency on imports exposes African economies to volatile global oil prices, geopolitical conflicts, and supply chain disruptions, worsening economic instability.
The recent commencement of the Port Harcourt refinery and other modular refineries shows Africa’s commitment to reducing its dependence on fuel imports and achieving energy sufficiency.
The Refineries Watch report shows several refineries in Africa and their host countries.
Many African countries, such as Zambia, Senegal, Cote d-Ivoire, Niger, Liberia, and DRC, currently own one refinery each.
Other nations such as Chad, Gabon, Cameron, Congo, and Kenya are also part of Africa’s refining landscape.
The West African region has the largest refining capacity, but only 30% is functional.
The mega Dangote Refinery, with 650,000 barrels per day capacity, is touted as transformative in the region.
Refinery closures in Zambia and South Africa are projected to make Angola the primary refining hub in the region by 2030.
South Africa’s Central Energy Funds expects the country to import about 604,000 barrels per day of petroleum products by 2025.
Per the report, Nigeria boasts nine refineries, including Port Harcourt Refinery, Dangote Refinery, Duport Refinery, Edo Refinery, Waltersmith Refinery, Warri Refinery, Kaduna Refinery, and the Ibigwe Refinery. Others are Ogbede Refinery, OPAC Refinery
The West African country has four refineries, including Tema Refineries, Platon Gas, Akwaba Refinery, and Sentuo Refinery.
The country ranks next to Nigeria with about five refineries, including ENGEN Refinery, SAPREF, CALTEX Refinery, NATREF Refinery, and Mossel Bay Refinery.
