Dangote Chooses Lamu, Kenya for Mega-Refinery Project

Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man and the owner of Dangote Industries Limited, has announced the selection of Lamu, Kenya, as the site for a new mega-refinery project. This facility will have a capacity of 700,000 barrels per day, making it the largest in East Africa.

Edwin Devakumar, Vice President in charge of oil and gas at Dangote Industries, confirmed that the construction will take approximately 30 months. The decision follows previous considerations of Tanzania as a potential location, where Dangote held discussions with President Samia Suluhu Hassan regarding commercial and technical aspects.

The announcement marks a shift from earlier preferences for Mombasa, Kenya, as the site for the refinery. Additionally, Dangote's existing refinery in Nigeria, which is set to become operational in 2024 with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is planned to be expanded to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028.