NNPC to produce refined products from PH refinery next year

By Gloria Akudoro, Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that the Port Harcourt Refinery, currently undergoing a $1.5 billion rehabilitation spree, will start delivery of refined products by September 2022.

This followed the official signing of contract by the NNPC with Technimont SPA, in the Q1 of this year, to rehabilitate the refinery.

NNPC said that $1.5 billion rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refining Company has commenced in full and part of the facility will start delivering refined products by September next year.

The NNPC officially signed the contract with Tecnimont SPA for the $1.5 billion rehabilitation programme of PHRC on April 6 and parties in the agreement announced the commencement of the project.

Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Kennie Obateru, gave his assurance that some part of the facility would deliver products in September 2022.

He added that the entire rehabilitation programme would be over in 44 months as the contractor had already mobilised to site.

According to him, “The work is progressing. We said it will be completed within 18 to 44 months when counting from April this year. By 18 months, some part of the refinery will be producing. The total rehabilitation job will be completed in 44 months.

“Why we said between 18 and 44 months is the fact that it will not be at the end of 44 months before the refinery starts working, but that in 18 months, some sections of the refinery will start producing.”

Recall that vNNPC had signed an Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contract with Tecnimont SpA, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont for the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery

While responding to why the corporation was spending such a huge amount of money through the federal government, said that the funds approved for the 210,000 barrels per day capacity refinery was for complete rehabilitation and not turnaround maintenance.