TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari is set to inaugurate the first phase of a 5,000 barrels per day (bpd) modular refinery, owned by Waltersmith Limited, in Ibigwe, Imo state on November 24, 2020.

Buhari decided to personally commission the refinery as it is key to his administration’s initiative to boost local refining of petroleum products to end importation and also make Nigeria the refining hub of Africa.

According to Waltersmith, the refinery has a crude oil storage capacity of 60,000 barrels and is expected to deliver about 271 million litres of refined petroleum products, including diesel, kerosene, heavy fuel oil (HFO), and naphtha, per annum to the domestic market and create both direct and indirect jobs particularly within host communities.

In a recent pre-commissioning visit to the refinery, Abdulrasaq Isah, chairman of Waltersmith Refining and Petrochemical Company, said: “The first module to be commissioned tomorrow is 5,000bpd refining capacity.

“We are looking at 50,000bpd refining capacity that will come with the planned additional two modules: 25,000bpd and 20,000bpd refining capacity respectively which will then add premium motor spirit (PMS), aviation fuel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to the product slates.”

Buhari will also perform a ground-breaking ceremony for the 45,000 bpd second and third phases of the refinery.

Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources; Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo state, among other top government officials, oil industry regulators, and stakeholders will join Buhari at the event.