The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (Warri Refinery) with a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, has commenced operations.
This development comes shortly after the Port Harcourt Refinery began its 60,000-barrel-per-day operations.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, revealed the news during an inspection tour of the facility on Monday.
VANGUARD reports that Kyari was joined by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, among other officials.
In a video shared by Channels TV, Kyari provided insights into the progress made at the facility, emphasizing that while repairs are ongoing, operations have already begun.
“We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running. Although it is not 100 per cent complete, we are still in the process,” Kyari stated.
“Many people think these things are not real. They think real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real,” he added
The Warri Refinery, located in Ekpan, Uvwie, and Ubeji areas of Delta State, is a major player in Nigeria’s petrochemical industry.
It produces approximately 13,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black, catering to markets in the southern and southwestern regions of the country.
Commissioned in 1978, the refinery has long been a cornerstone of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
Despite initial projections for its mechanical completion by the first quarter of 2024, as stated by NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, the facility is now operational ahead of schedule.
The WRPC is one of four refineries managed by NNPCL, alongside the Port Harcourt Refining Company (comprising both old and new facilities) in Rivers State and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company in Kaduna State.
This milestone underscores NNPCL’s commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s refining capacity and reducing reliance on imported petroleum products.
