Dangote Advances Petrochemical Expansion at Lekki Refinery
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is advancing a major petrochemical expansion at its Lekki Free Trade Zone complex in Nigeria. The company has contracted Honeywell International Inc. to supply process technologies and catalysts, enabling an additional 750,000 tonnes/year of propylene and 400,000 tpy of linear alkylbenzene. This initiative supports Dangote's broader goal to increase crude processing capacity to 1.4 million b/d by 2028, aiming to meet regional demand, reduce import reliance, and improve overall refinery economics for fuels and chemical products.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is significantly expanding its 650,000-b/d integrated refining complex in Nigeria's Lekki Free Trade Zone. A recent contract, announced April 20, awards Honeywell International Inc. the supply of process technologies and catalysts, including Honeywell UOP LLC's proprietary Oleflex technology. This crucial development will boost propylene production by an additional 750,000 tonnes annually and linear alkylbenzene (LAB) by 400,000 tonnes annually. The expansion directly supports Dangote's objective of meeting escalating regional demand for plastics, packaging, and detergent feedstocks, thereby reducing reliance on imports and enhancing the overall economics of the refinery by increasing product flexibility and value capture from crude processing. This petrochemical growth is integral to a larger strategic initiative to more than double the Lekki refinery’s crude processing capacity from 650,000 b/d to 1.4 million b/d by 2028, a move that would establish it as the world’s largest single-site refinery. This builds upon an earlier November 2025 agreement with Honeywell for advanced process controls and digital optimization across the complex. Dangote emphasizes that these investments align with Nigeria’s national goal of fortifying domestic refining and petrochemical supply chains, reducing import dependency, and stabilizing foreign exchange. Furthermore, these efforts underpin Dangote's ambitious Vision 2030 plan, targeting $100 billion in annual revenue and requiring $40 billion in new investments, partly supported by a $2.5 billion Afreximbank funding scheme. The integrated approach aims to maximize the conversion of Africa's crude into higher-value chemical products, bolstering West Africa's supply resilience and positioning Nigeria as a key export hub.
