TheCable

The management of Dangote Refinery says it is committed  to protecting fishing activities in the Lekki coastal environment. 

The yet-to-be completed Dangote Refinery sits on the Lekki lagoon of Lagos state.

The refinery which is expected to process 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) is an integrated refinery and petrochemical project and expected to be Africa’s biggest oil refinery and the world’s biggest single-train facility, upon completion.

Rajnish Kumar Gupta, general manager of Dangote oil and refinery, said Dangote jetty has been constructed with sandbar breakwater technology, which is a unique concept that follows the building-with-nature philosophy.

Gupta said sandbar breakwater is capable of reducing coastal erosion and protecting the shorelines by interrupting wave energy, and allowing sand to accumulate along the coast.

“Sandbar Breakwaters don’t interfere with wildlife habitats. They may change how wave transmission energy occurs, but this doesn’t change the fact that animals will still have a place that they can call home,” he said.

“A conventional breakwater that consists of rock would lead to fast coastline advance at the west side, ultimately burying the expensive rock and thereby losing its function. The Sandbar Breakwater is designed as such that it mostly consists of sand.

“The sandbar is morphologically dynamic and nature shapes it to an equilibrium stable profile. It minimises the use of hard materials (rock) and thereby makes optimal use of locally available materials.”

He noted that the concept does not interfere with wild-life and fishing activities in the coastal areas.

Gupta explained that the RO-RO Jetty would handle the receipt of all refinery project cargo, including over dimensional cargoes and subsequent haulage to the designated laydown areas for the construction of the Dangote refinery.