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Refiners Association Urges NNPCL to vvv Sell Port Harcourt Refinery, Others to Fund Modular Plants

Yakubu Haruna Yakubu 

The Crude Oil Refiners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) has appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) and the federal government to sell the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to fund modular refineries. CORAN's Publicity Secretary, Eche Idoko, stated that the $1.5 billion spent on rehabilitating the Port Harcourt Refinery could have been used to build and support modular refineries to address Nigeria's energy crisis.

Idoko revealed that Nigeria has 15 modular refineries, with five operational but not producing petrol, and others in various completion stages. He urged the government to fund modular refineries, which could produce 100,000 barrels per day, enough to end fuel importation when combined with the Dangote Refinery's output.

The appeal comes as NNPCL announced the Port Harcourt Refinery's commercial operation commencement in September 2024, after multiple missed deadlines. The 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery is also expected to start petrol production in September, according to government sources. CORAN's proposal offers an alternative solution to Nigeria's energy crisis, emphasizing the potential of modular refineries to meet the country's fuel demands.