Africa’s largest oil refinery, Dangote Refinery, has reached a significant milestone with the successful shipment of its first jet fuel cargo to Europe. This marks a notable achievement for the complex, which has been rapidly increasing production since its launch in April 2023.
The inaugural shipment, carried by the “Doric Breeze” vessel, departed from the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos on May 27th and is currently en route to Rotterdam, Netherlands, according to data from S&P Global Commodities at Sea.
The cargo contains 45,000 metric tons of jet fuel and was awarded to BP as part of a 120,000-metric-ton tender offered by the refinery. Spanish refiner Cepsa also secured a portion of the tender and is expected to deliver jet fuel to Europe soon.
This jet fuel shipment is the latest in a series of milestones achieved by the refinery in recent months. Dangote Refinery has already exported six jet fuel/kerosene cargoes, all delivered to Senegal, Togo, or Ghana. According to S&P, the refinery is currently projecting its first gasoline supplies to commence in June, with ultra-low sulfur diesel expected to be eligible for export to Europe by the third quarter.
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To date, Dangote has exported naphtha, fuel oil, and gasoil to markets in Europe, Africa, and Asia. However, naphtha exports may soon be reduced to prepare for gasoline production.
A representative for Dangote mentioned to Commodity Insights on May 20 that the refinery has been pushing around four cargoes of naphtha each month to Europe since April, but these volumes could be curbed to boost domestic supplies for gasoline blending once the plant’s fluid catalytic cracker becomes operational.
