Page 12 - DMEA Week 34 2022

DMEA REFINING & FUELS DMEA

Ismaael told MEES that Baghdad was work- capacity of 140,000 bpd in September 2023,
ing harder because it now saw the refinery as a he said. He did not explain why his timeline
“commercially more viable” proposition in light differed from that cited by MORC and the oil
of the upsurge in world crude oil prices earlier minister.
this year. When finished, the Karbala refinery will turn
He also reported that the Karbala plant was out 9mn litres (or 56,600 bpd) per day of Euro-5
due to receive its first shipment of feedstock in standard regular and premium gasoline, along
mid-October. with 3mn litres per day (18,900 bpd) of kerosene
Hamid Younes, Iraq’s Deputy Minister of and 2.2mn litres per day (13,800 bpd) of diesel
Oil for Downstream Affairs, concurred, telling fuel. Residual fuel oil will make up only 18% of
MEES that the refinery’s first phase was on track the new plant’s output, far below the average
to begin operating in the month of November. figure of 47% that prevails among Iraq’s other
The plant is then likely to reach its full operating existing refineries. ™

PETROCHEMICALS
Zambian cabinet minister urges Nigeria’s

Dangote Group to build local fertiliser plant

AFRICA ZAMBIA’S Minister of Commerce and Industry
Chipoka Mulenga has implored Nigeria-based
Dangote Group to grow its business portfolio in
his country by building a fertiliser manufactur-
ing plant.
The diversified group – owned by Afri-
ca’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote of Nigeria
– already runs a 1.5mn tonne per year (tpy)
cement plant in Zambia, the largest such facility
in the country.
Speaking during a tour of the group’s 3mn
tpy fertiliser manufacturing facility in Lagos at
the weekend, Mulenga said that if the Dangote
Group invested in fertiliser manufacturing in
Zambia, the southern African country’s agricul-
ture industry and wider economy would benefit.
“Rather than continue to import fertiliser
from anywhere, we want Aliko Dangote to come
and establish [a] plant in Zambia,” he said. “The
country’s fertiliser consumption has increased
tremendously in the last few years and has con-
tinued to increase.”
Mulenga also praised the Nigerian entrepre-
neur for his investments in African commerce.
“I am happy that we no longer have to go Mulenga (R) met with Dangote (C) on August 23 (Image: Twitter/@DangoteGroup)
outside of Africa to seek investors,” he said.
“Dangote has been able to change the narratives “This is amazing and we will like to have a simi-
through his investment in cement production lar investment in Zambia.”
across Africa. We now have Africans investing The minister was also quoted by the Nige-
in the African continent. Dangote has already rian newspaper Vanguard as saying on August
established the biggest cement plant in Zam- 21 as saying that Zambia’s government had cre-
bia. Dangote Cement Zambia has a remarkable ated an environment that was ideal for outside
portfolio and is bringing positive change to the investment.
cement industry, not only in Zambia but also to The country’s investment climate has
other neighbouring countries.” improved over the past year of Hakainde
The Dangote Group deserves praise for its Hichilema’s presidency, and a number of large
huge investments in Nigeria, Mulenga added. companies from Australia, Europe and the US
“Let all Nigerians support this investment to are investing in the country, mainly in copper
grow from strength to strength,” he commented. mining, he noted. ™

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