Page 10 - DMEA Week 02 2022

DMEA REFINING DMEA

Cabinda refinery to begin operations

AFRICA THE first of Angola’s three planned refineries is doubling the plant’s capacity and adding, pipe-
set to begin operations this year, following a final lines a catalytic reformer, a hydrotator and a
investment decision (FID) by its British backer catalytic cracking unit. According to Gemcorp,
in late 2020. the first phase will cost around $220mn, with the
Angolan President João Lourenço this week remaining $700mn of the budgeted amount split
told state media outlet ANGOP that the first across phases two and three.
phase of construction on a 60,000 barrel per day Lourenço noted that the refinery’s output
(bpd) refinery in the Cabinda exclave would be will cater to the needs of the Cabinda province
completed in mid-2022, giving the facility 50% with any surplus to be exported to neighbouring
of its planned capacity. Congo (Kinshasa).
The refinery is being constructed by Gem- Cabinda is the smallest of three refining pro-
corp Capital on the Malembo plan, around 30km jects that are expected to turn the country from
north of the provincial capital and is expected to a net importer of refined products to an exporter.
produce gasoline, diesel, fuel oil and Jet A1. A $3.5bn build, own and operate (BOO) con-
Gemcorp holds a 90% stake in the $920mn tract was awarded to a consortium led by Cali-
project alongside state-owned Sonangol Refin- fornia-based electrical contractor Quanten LLC
ing (Sonaref) with the British firm responsible last year for the development of a 100,000 bpd
for the cost of construction. refinery at Soyo that is due to come into opera-
Odebrecht Engenharia e Construção (OEC) tion in 2024.
is carrying out construction work on a crude dis- Meanwhile, a decision is still awaited fol-
tillation unit (CDU) under a contract awarded lowing a tender for investment in the planned
by Gemcorp last year. 200,000 bpd Lobito refinery in Benguela prov-
According to plans announced in October ince with Sonangol envisaging private investors
2020, the refinery will be built in three stages taking a stake of 70%.
with the first stage including the CDU, a kero- In mid-2021, project co-ordinator, Guiomar
sene treatment facility and storage tanks that can Correia said that the unit would be completed
hold up to 1.2mn barrels of oil. in in 2025 or 2026 at a total cost of $6bn, based
The second and third stages will involve on early physical works beginning in Q2 2022.™

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