Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced plans to construct fuel storage tanks in Namibia with the capacity to hold over 1.6 million barrels of gasoline and diesel.
According to information obtained by Reuters, the facility will help distribute refined products across Southern Africa. This is part of the refinery’s growing ambition to expand its influence on fuel distribution across the continent and reshape regional trade dynamics.
The refinery, which cost $20 billion and currently can process 650,000 barrels per day, has been steadily increasing output and exploring new export opportunities since it commenced operations last year.
The planned storage in Namibia is expected to support fuel delivery to Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia itself. It could also potentially serve the southern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
While the company has yet to release a statement, one insider noted that construction will soon begin in Walvis Bay, a port city in Namibia. An unnamed official from the Namibia Ports Authority also confirmed that the facility will be located within the Walvis Bay harbor zone.
Recall that earlier this year, the refinery commenced building eight more tanks in its bid to have enough storage for imported crude oil. A report by Africa Report has it that the refinery is ramping up its storage capacity by 6.29 million barrels, equivalent to 1 billion litres.
