Page 12 - AfrOil Week 13 2021

AfrOil POLICY AfrOil

According to Sylva, once the rehabilitation has were operating at just 5.55% of their capacity,
been completed, a “professional operations and with that figure being a six-month high. The
maintenance company [will be hired] to main- units were all then taken offline entirely.
tain the refinery.” He explained, that this was one Meanwhile, with NNPC still understood to
of the conditions of the credit, saying: “That’s be considering offloading the majority of its
embedded in discussions with the lenders.” stakes in the refineries, criticism has been lev-
After years of under-investment, the ageing elled at the government for paying for a refurb
state-run facilities at Port Harcourt, as well as before privatising the units. For example, Atedo
the smaller Kaduna (110,000 bpd) and Warri Peterside, the founder and CEO of Stanbic
(125,000 bpd) plants, have typically run at less IBTC Bank, said the government “should halt”
than 10% of capacity in recent years. Indeed, its plans and “subject this brazen and expensive
NNPC admitted in mid-2019 that the refineries adventure to an informed national debate.” ™

PROJECTS & COMPANIES
Modular refinery in Edo state set to be

commissioned by year-end

NIGERIA THE popularity of modular refining in Nigeria community.
is continuing to grow and another facility will Wabote noted the growing momentum
be launched by the end of the year in Edo State. behind modular refineries. “When the federal
Duport Midstream Co. recently said that the government enunciated the policy on the devel-
2,500 barrel per day (bpd) unit it is developing in opment of modular refineries, NCDMB decided
collaboration with the Nigerian Content Devel- to explore ways through which we can build
opment and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) at modular refineries to refine products locally,”
Egbokor would be ready for commissioning he said.
during the fourth quarter of 2021. The Duport project is the third, following
During a site visit in mid-March, NCDMB the Waltersmith Modular Refinery in Imo
executive secretary Simbi Kesiye Wabote State, which has already come into operation
assessed progress and confirmed that the pro- and processes 5,000 bpd, and the Azikel Mod-
ject had reached 80% completion. He inspected ular Refinery in Bayelsa State. “Duport […] is
ongoing work in the fabrication of tank farms, the third project and we believe that it would be
civil works, pipeline installation and other site commissioned in the last quarter of this year,”
preparation. Meanwhile, Wabote noted that Wabote added.
modules for the 2-MW power plant and control Meanwhile, the Edo state government was
room were being fabricated and assembled in commended for “providing conducive envi-
Lagos for delivery to Egbokor. ronment for the Duport Energy Park project”,
The refining unit will be joined by a 30mn with Wabote saying that one of the key benefits
cubic feet (850,000 cubic metre) per day gas of the establishment of modular refineries “is
processing facility and a power plant in the the steady rebuilding of local skills in refinery
Duport Energy Park, and is expected to lead to operations, especially amongst the young work-
the indirect creation of 1,500 jobs in the local force.” ™

The modular refinery will be ready by year-end (Photo: Edo state government)

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 13 31•March•2021