Construction of the proposed Dangote oil refinery in Lamu is set to begin in October, Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote has confirmed, with the project’s cost now estimated at about Sh2 trillion, down from an initial Sh2.2 trillion.
“By October this year, we will be groundbreaking. Once we break the ground, we will begin the construction,” Dangote told the BBC. The refinery is expected to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it East Africa’s largest refinery and the continent’s second-largest after Dangote’s existing facility in Lagos, Nigeria.
Dangote announced plans in April to expand his refining business into East Africa, with the Lamu facility modelled on the Nigerian plant. Once operational, it is expected to supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and neighbouring markets including Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, reducing the region’s reliance on imported fuel.
Source: allafrica.com
