By Damilare Adeleye
The Port Harcourt Refinery has finally commenced operations after undergoing renovation and rehabilitation that began in 2021.
It was gathered that the first trucks of petroleum products will be lifted from the facility on Tuesday.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari, who toured the facility on Monday night, is expected to be on ground when the petroleum products will be dispatched.
Located at Alesa Eleme in Port Harcourt, the refinery complex comprises two operational units established in 1965 and 1989 and with a combined installed capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.
The older plant has a capacity of 60,000 barrels per stream day, while the newer plant has 150,000 barrels per capacity.
The refinery’s resumption is expected to further reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products and reduce foreign exchange pressures associated with fuel importation.
The refinery is also expected to produce premium motor spirit, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas, among others.