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Dangote’s Lekki refinery ramps exports to Europe as capacity rises
The 700,000 bpd plant has pushed European product shipments to record levels, while clean product imports into West Africa fell about 25% year over year in Q2.
Dangote’s 700,000 bpd Lekki refinery has been operating at full capacity for the past two months, supporting record product exports to Europe and reshaping West Africa’s fuel trade, OilPrice reports. The outlet says Dangote is also starting to outpace traditional Gulf and US suppliers.
As Lekki’s output rises, imports of clean products from outside West Africa fell by almost 25% year over year in the second quarter, according to OilPrice. The company is treating the gains as a first step rather than a finish line.
Dangote previously boosted capacity from 650,000 bpd to 700,000 bpd through a maintenance and upgrade program, a timeline that took about 2.5 years to deliver. The group’s regular crude purchases began in March 2024.
Looking ahead, OilPrice says Dangote plans to add another crude distillation unit, lifting total capacity to 1.45 million bpd, and expand product-storage and distribution infrastructure across Africa. The next phase targets mechanical completion of a new 750,000 bpd CDU and additional secondary units by December 2028, which the outlet says could make Lekki the world’s largest refinery at 1.45 million bpd, narrowly ahead of Reliance Industries’ 1.4 million bpd Jamnagar complex.
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