The Dangote Petroleum Refinery Has Achieved

ABUJA / LAGOS, Nigeria The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has achieved a major operational breakthrough, announcing the full restoration and optimisation of its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Motor Spirit (MS) production block, reaching its nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) the first refinery in the world to hit this benchmark for its CDU and MS block.
Operational Breakthrough & Technical Validation
The refinery revealed in a statement that both the CDU and MS units critical for separating crude components and making refined fuels like Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) are now running at optimal performance, strengthening steady-state operations at Africa’s largest oil refining facility. This follows a scheduled maintenance exercise on the CDU and MS Block, after which the plant commenced an intensive 72-hour performance test run in collaboration with technology licensor UOP to validate output quality and efficiency against global operational standards.
CEO David Bird said the performance testing demonstrates advanced engineering capability and operational stability, reflecting the proficiency of technical and plant personnel. The milestone confirms the refinery is positioned to deliver consistent, world-class output. Record Production, Boosted Fuel Supply
With CDU and MS fully restored, the refinery based in Lekki Free Zone, Lagos has already supplied 45 million to 50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily during the recent festive season and can now comfortably deliver up to 75 million litres per day to the domestic market depending on demand conditions.
The CDU and MS Block include core processing sections such as the naphtha hydrotreater, isomerisation unit, and reformer unit, all integral to high-quality fuel output across multiple refined product streams. Strategic Impact on Nigeria’s Energy Landscape
Observers say the achievement marks a transformative moment for Nigeria’s refining sector:It solidifies the Dangote Refinery as one of the largest single-train refining facilities in the world.
Increased refined fuel output is expected to elevate domestic fuel availability, reducing dependence on foreign imports and potentially lowering fuel scarcity and price volatility.
The refinery’s performance milestone supports broader energy security objectives and positions Nigeria to emerge as a net exporter of refined petroleum products.
Industry analysts also highlight long-term implications including job creation, industrial growth and enhanced economic diversification as surpluses from the plant feed into downstream sectors and exports While the CDU and MS Block have reached full output capacity, management confirmed that all remaining processing units will begin their own performance test runs next week, marking the start of Phase 2 of the commissioning process.
Earlier projections also indicate plans to expand production capacity beyond 650,000 bpd in the coming years, with executives mentioning potential ramps toward 700,000 bpd and later an eventual 1.4 million bpd capacity through phased development.
This milestone comes as a defining chapter in Nigeria’s industrial development, building on nearly two years of operational scaling since the refinery’s first commercial outputs. Its success underscores the ability of private sector-led industrial infrastructure to catalyse energy independence and economic resilience.