The Federal Authorities on Thursday, introduced the mechanical completion and flare start-off of Nigeria’s greatest crude refinery rehabilitation in Port Harcourt.
The nation’s refineries; Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna have been in 2020, shut down as they have been reportedly operating under capability.
However in 2021, the FG accredited $ 1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery with an oil refining capability of 210,000 barrels per day.
Talking throughout a media tour of the power, the Minister of State for Petroleum Assets (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, mentioned upon supply of the rehabilitation as promised, the refinery would start manufacturing of refined oil after Christmas break.
“Simply to announce to Nigerians the fulfilment of our pledge to carry on stream section one of many Port Harcourt refinery by the top of 2023 and the next streaming of section two in 2024. We fortunately introduced the mechanical completion and the flare start-off on the twentieth of December 2023.
“This heralds the graduation of manufacturing of petroleum merchandise after the Christmas break. We need to thank Nigerians for his or her endurance and belief within the NNPC to ship on her promise and mandate of rehabilitating our refineries.
On his half, the Group Chief Government Officer, the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm (NNPC) Ltd.
Mr. Mele Kyari, famous that rehabilitation work has been ongoing on the refinery for over two years.
He said that the NNPC Ltd. had pledged to finish Section One of many challenge (mechanical completion and flare start-up) of Previous Port Harcourt Refinery (Space 5) by thirty first December 2023.
In keeping with him, as of December fifteenth, 2023, 84.4% of Space 5 Plant, a key element of the Refinery, and 77.4% of your entire rehabilitation challenge have been accomplished.
“In our quest to make sure that this refinery is re-streamed to proceed to ship worth to Nigerians, we made a promise that we are going to attain a mechanical completion of section one of many rehabilitation challenge by the top of December and get the opposite vegetation operating in 2024. Right now, we’ve saved these commitments,” Kyari said.
He additional defined that the PHRC rehabilitation challenge, which prices about $1.5bn, is an EPCIC challenge that covers Engineering, Procurement, Building, Set up, and Commissioning phases.
He famous that the Space 5, the Engineering, Procurement, Building, and Set up have all been accomplished including that the mechanical completion signifies the closure of the Building and Set up phases.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the NNPC Ltd Board, Chief Pius Akinyelure described the milestone as “historic”, stressing that the board was happy with the workers and administration of the refinery.
“We’re simply beginning. We need to be on the highest stage of manufacturing so that we are going to maintain the costs of petroleum costs secure with a view to give consolation to our individuals and generate extra income for our nation,” Akinyelure famous.
On the tour have been the Minister of State Petroleum Assets (Gasoline) Ekperikpe Ekpo, Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted (NNPC Ltd) Board Chairman, Pius Akinyelure, NNPC Ltd. Group Chief Government Officer, Mele Kyari and different dignitaries.
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