The Federal Government has revealed that the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company is yet to be fully licenced.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority revealed this development to The Guardian on Monday.
NMDPRA said Dangote Refinery is still in its pre-commissioning phase and has yet to receive a full operational licence.
The Head of Public Affairs at NMDPRA, George Ene-Ita, said the refinery is undergoing a phased process, with only two out of four priority sections approved for the introduction of hydrocarbons.
Ene-Ita said: “The entire plant is subdivided into four sections technically referred to as priorities one, two, three, and four.
“At this stage of pre-commissioning, only priorities one and two have been given approval to introduce hydrocarbons, which allows the plant to operate on a test-run basis.”
Ene-Ita said at this stage, the refinery is permitted to produce petroleum products such as diesel, jet fuel, and kerosene, which are then released into the market under regulatory supervision.
Ene-Ita told The Guardian that this pre-commissioning phase also involves conducting rigorous pre-startup and safety audits of the facility.
He said the audits include tests on the plant’s mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation systems to ensure the refinery’s readiness for full-scale production.
He said full production and an increased volume of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, would only be achieved when approval is given to introduce hydrocarbons into priorities three and four.
Ene-Ita said: “Once these sections are operational, the plant will undergo a 90-day observation period during which additional tests and audits will be carried out to confirm compliance with regulatory guidelines.
“If after 90 days our technical team confirms that the facility adheres to all parameters, the refinery will be issued a License to Operate, marking its full operational status.”
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Ene-Ita further told The Guardian that this procedure is standard and applies to all refineries in Nigeria.
On concerns over the colour of PMS produced during the pre-commissioning phase by Dangote Refinery, Ene-Ita said according to the Nigeria Industrial Standards, the specified colour is Oxblood Red.
However, he said since the refinery is not fully operational, the colour may not yet conform to this standard.
He said: “It’s important to note that colour is not necessarily an indicator of product quality, nor is it a quality parameter in regulatory compliance.
“When the Dangote Refinery becomes fully operational, it will be expected to produce PMS that conforms to the NIS colour specifications.”
