By Okeke Eunice
After multiple delays, fuel production has officially begun at the Port Harcourt refinery.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) confirmed this development on Tuesday.
NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye stated that trucks would begin loading the fuel today.
“The Port Harcourt refinery is now operational. Truck loading starts today, Tuesday,” Soneye informed our correspondent.
In a separate announcement on X, the NNPC stated: “NNPC Ltd achieves a milestone as the Port Harcourt Refinery begins product truckout today, Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 1:45 PM.
“Catch the commissioning and truckout event LIVE.”
Reports indicate that the refinery will initially operate at a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, supplying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), diesel, and other products to the Nigerian market.
The Port Harcourt Refinery has become the second facility to produce petrol locally, following the Dangote Refinery, which began PMS production in September.
Owned by the Federal Government and operated by the NNPC, it is one of three state-owned refineries.
Nigerians remain optimistic that refining crude oil domestically and halting the importation of refined products could significantly reduce fuel prices.
Located in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta, the Port Harcourt Refinery has been operational since 1965 but fell into disrepair for several years.
In March 2021, the Nigerian government secured a $1.5 billion loan to fund its renovation and upgrade.
According to Honourable Fm, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the NNPC had previously made seven unfulfilled promises to Nigerians regarding the refinery’s revival.
Just two months after missing the September completion deadline, the NNPC last week provided reasons for the delay in delivering the long-anticipated Port Harcourt Refinery.
In an interview with our correspondent, Soneye explained that the company faced various risks and challenges during the refinery’s rehabilitation due to the complexities of working on a brownfield project.
He noted that after achieving mechanical completion in Nigeria, the NNPC began commissioning essential equipment and processing units.
“You may recall that the mechanical completion of the Port Harcourt Refinery revamp was successfully achieved several months ago, marking a significant milestone for the project. Following this, we initiated the commissioning of critical equipment and process units.
“However, as is typical with brownfield projects of this scale and complexity, we encountered unforeseen risks and challenges,” he said.
Despite this, Soneye assured a national television that the issues had been addressed, allowing the commissioning activities to resume.