Dangote Selects UOP Technology for its Lekki Refinery

The Guardian Nigeria|Editorial board

Dangote’s Lekki Refinery The dreams of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, to solve the nation’s refinery capacity is a step closer to realization following the news that the Dangote Group has chosen the technology for its refinery.
Dangote selected the UOP technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell, a leading international supplier and technology licensor for petroleum refining. UOP will supply process technology, catalysts and proprietary equipment for the 500,000 barrels per day capacity plant that will cost around $9 billion.
The refinery, which is expected to enter into operation in by 2018 will more than double the countries current refining capacity. The nation’s four refineries with a combined capacity of 450,000 barrels is currently achieving anything between 10 and 20 per cent of its capacity forcing the country to import petroleum products to service the country’s needs.
In addition to processing crude oil to produce high-quality gasoline, diesel and jet fuel that meet Euro V specifications for reduced emissions, the Dangote refinery facility will produce world-scale quantities of polypropylene, a key petrochemical used in plastics and packaging. Other key UOP technologies that will be used at the plant include:
• The UOP Resid Fluid Catalytic Cracking process to produce transportation fuels from crude oil. It will also supply propylene, which will be used as a feedstock for polypropylene.
• The CCR Platforming™ process to produce high-octane gasoline blending components.
• The Unicracking™ process to produce diesel.
• The Penex™ process to produce high-octane gasoline.
• The crude distillation unit (CDU) design will be provided by UOP’s alliance partner, Process Consulting Services.
Pete Piotrowski, senior vice president and general manager of UOP’s Process, Technology and Equipment business said: “The company’s UOP has been designing state-of-the-art refineries and petrochemical plants for more than a century, so we are well-equipped to help Nigeria develop a massive new installation to meet its domestic