Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive officer of Dangote Group, has announced that the company's planned refinery in Lamu, Kenya, will surpass its Lagos facility in both size and processing capability. The disclosure came during a tour of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos with Kenyan President William Ruto.
Lamu Refinery Capacity and Features
The proposed Lamu Refinery is designed to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, exceeding the 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity of the Lagos plant, according to The Guardian. Dangote explained that the Kenyan facility would include heavier processing equipment and a coker—a unit that converts heavier petroleum residues into lighter, higher-value products.
During the tour, Dangote told President Ruto: "Here I will give you a sense of an idea of what we're going to have in Kenya just that Kenya will be a little bit bigger than what you are going to see, Your Excellency, today."
Power Generation and Economic Impact
On power generation, Dangote said the refinery would produce about 1,000 megawatts of electricity, with roughly 500 megawatts available for sale to Kenya's national grid. He described the power component as part of the broader infrastructure that would support the refinery's operations.
President Ruto confirmed that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Lamu Refinery is scheduled for September 30, 2026. He stated that his government had already secured the land needed for the project and was working to meet the remaining conditions required before construction begins.
Expansion into East Africa
Ruto said the refinery would drive Kenya's industrial growth and open up opportunities in engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and business, among other fields. The Lamu project marks an expansion of Dangote Group's footprint into East Africa, building on its refinery operations in Lagos.
Earlier reports indicated that Dangote announced an Initial Public Offering (IPO) for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, with the offer price set at N525 per share. An investor with N500,000 can purchase 952 shares, spending N499,800. Dangote described the offer as an "IPO for the people," designed to give ordinary Nigerians and other Africans a direct stake in Africa's largest oil refinery.
