The gasoline-producing unit at Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery has been operating at about 66 percent of capacity since late May following technical and feedstock-related disruptions, according to refinery monitoring data cited by industry sources.
The setback has also triggered a steep decline in exports, with gasoline shipments falling from about 81,000 barrels per day in April to roughly 10,000 barrels per day in early June, reflecting reduced output from the facility’s core processing unit.
The situation comes at a critical stage for the US$20 billion refinery, which is still stabilising operations after reaching full nameplate capacity earlier in 2026.
The main issue centres on the refinery’s Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit, which converts heavy crude streams into gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas. The unit’s performance has been affected by a combination of feedstock imbalance and mechanical failure.
According to industry monitoring firm IIR Energy, the refinery processed crude grades that were too light for optimal RFCC operation, limiting feedstock availability for gasoline production.
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A second issue emerged in late May when a mechanical fault developed in a flue gas control valve. Repair work is reportedly nearing completion, with expectations that operations could return to full capacity in the near term.
The Dangote Refinery has not issued an official public statement on the disruption.
The recent incident marks the third operational interruption affecting the same unit within a year. The RFCC unit was previously shut down for maintenance in August 2025 before restarting at about 60% capacity in October 2025.
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Despite these challenges, the refinery remains central to Nigeria’s downstream energy strategy and continues to operate as Africa’s largest single-train refining facility.
The refinery, developed by Dangote Group, was built at a cost of approximately US$20 billion and reached full capacity after a phased commissioning process that began in 2023.
Fuel prices in Nigeria have remained elevated, with gasoline selling at between 1,248 and 1,364 naira per litre (about US$0.85–US$0.93) in early June, reflecting ongoing pressure in domestic energy markets.
Market analysts note that the refinery’s output fluctuations have broader implications for Nigeria’s fuel import dependency, pricing stability and foreign exchange demand, given the country’s heavy reliance on petroleum products.
The company continues to pursue ambitious expansion plans. Dangote Group CEO David Bird said the refinery aims to expand capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day within 30 months, positioning it as one of the largest refining complexes globally if achieved.
However, analysts say sustained operational stability will be key to meeting those targets, particularly as the facility continues to optimise crude sourcing, equipment reliability and process integration across its units.
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For now, the temporary slowdown highlights the challenges of ramping up mega-refinery operations in a complex global fuel market where efficiency, feedstock quality and technical reliability remain critical to performance.
