World’s Largest Refinery: Dangote Firm to Double Capacity with $20 Billion – David Bird
By Raheem Ibrahim
The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Dangote Refinery, David Bird, has revealed that the company plans to invest $20 billion to double its facility, transform into a merchant refinery heavily dependent on maritime operations, and become the largest refinery in the world.
Bird made the disclosure while addressing members of the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) after a tour of the facility on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, which aimed to correct misconceptions about the refinery’s operating model.
According to him, Dangote Refinery is undertaking major projects, including the construction of a large-scale diesel hydrotreater, expansion of polypropylene production, development of additional marine jetties, and the establishment of a world-scale Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) plant to support detergent manufacturing across Africa.
Rather than a conventional “trailer line” refinery tied to a single crude pipeline, Bird explained that the expansion plans are designed to double the facility’s capacity and position it as the largest refinery globally.
Describing the refinery as a “continent-building project,” Bird said the facility has moved from its construction phase into full-scale operations and is transitioning into a stable, efficient commercial enterprise capable of generating revenue to fund its expansion.
He highlighted that the refinery is already exporting refined products to international markets, including gasoline shipments to New York Harbour, Bermuda, and South America, as well as aviation fuel to Dubai, underscoring its growing global footprint.
Bird explained that the refinery operates a merchant refining model, sourcing crude oil and intermediate feedstocks from various parts of the world and processing them into finished fuels. He clarified that the refinery does not import finished petrol for sale in Nigeria but rather imports intermediate feedstocks and blending components, which are further refined into Euro 5 specification products before distribution in the domestic market.
He revealed that the refinery has processed over 25 crude oil grades from Nigeria, Brazil, Angola, and Senegal, noting that Nigerian crude remains the most economically attractive due to proximity and cost advantages. Efforts are ongoing to expand the crude-for-naira arrangement to strengthen local sourcing.
Addressing concerns over recent maintenance activities, Bird described temporary shutdowns of some units as routine “pit stop” procedures typical after major start-ups. Despite these maintenance operations, the refinery maintained domestic supply by sourcing intermediate feedstocks, averaging about 41 million litres of petrol daily.
On fuel standards, Bird said the refinery produces Euro 5-grade petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel, which are low in sulphur and free of harmful metals, offering significant public health and environmental benefits.
The refinery currently employs about 4,200 operational staff, with expansion projects expected to create tens of thousands of construction jobs at peak periods. Bird also disclosed that the facility operates a 500-megawatt gas-fired captive power plant to guarantee uninterrupted operations, with no current plans to connect to the national grid.
“We will become the largest refinery in the world, right here in Nigeria,” Bird said, adding that the goal is not only scale but efficiency and global competitiveness, crediting the vision behind the project to Aliko Dangote.
Also speaking, the Head of Port Infrastructure and Marine Operations at the refinery, Capt. Satendra Singh Rana, said the facility has recorded more than 800 tanker calls at its offshore marine terminals since operations began.
He noted that the refinery operates five offshore Single Point Mooring (SPM) terminals—two for crude oil imports and three for refined products—enabling efficient receipt and export of large petroleum volumes. The marine infrastructure is designed to handle vessels within an average turnaround time of 24 hours, with even the largest tankers completed within 36 hours.
Rana added that the offshore SPMs leverage natural water depths of approximately 40 metres for crude terminals and 20 metres for product terminals, eliminating the need for continuous dredging.
With the refinery ramping up towards its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, he projected about 600 tanker calls annually, describing the development as a transformative milestone for Nigeria and Africa’s maritime energy trade. He emphasised that the marine facilities were built to handle over 100 percent of the refinery’s full production capacity and remain underutilised as output continues to increase, positioning the complex as a major global energy hub.
