NNPC to upgrade, expand Kaduna refinery
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has reiterated its commitment to the upgrade and expansion of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC) in line with the 12 key business focus areas of the present management in order to return it to the path of growth and profitability.
Maikanti Baru, group managing director of the NNPC, stated this while making commitment during a town hall meeting with management and staff of KRPC in Kaduna.
The NNPC helmsman also promised to drive the energy supply project to power industries in Kaduna by ensuring the completion of the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline.
He however stated that efforts are on-going to explore the possibility of piping crude oil from Niger Republic to be refined in KRPC adding that President Muhammadu Buhari was personally committed to the project.
“It is important to explore alternative crude supply to KRPC, which has been affected by vandalism of pipelines and obsolescence as this initiative will reduce downtime of the plant and ensure optimal utilisation,” Baru said.
Baru further said; “Due to challenges with the aged refinery and crude oil pipelines that have been breached severally, the operations of the refinery has been epileptic. This we are determined to resolve through various intervention methods including evaluation of alternative crude oil supply from Niger Republic through building of a pipelines of over 1, 000 kilometers from Agadem to Kaduna. That effort is being championed by Mr President himself.”
He said the Corporation has already started engagements with the Nigerien Minister of Petroleum and the Chinese that are operating the field at Agadem.
Idi Mukhtar, managing director of KRPC, had earlier said the Fluid Cracking Catalytic Unit (FCCU) of the plant was restreamed in June.
“The Kerosene Hydrotreating Unit (KHU) rehabilitation is ongoing with the equipment overhaul and integrity checks. When operational the margin of value addition on kerosene and Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK) will provide millions of naira in revenue, even at a throughput of 60 per cent,” Mukhtar assured.
The refinery was designed to process both imported paraffinic and Nigerian crude oil into fuel and lube products and was constructed by Chiyoda Chemical Engineering and Construction Company (now Chiyoda Corporation) of Japan.
In December 1986, the design capacity of the fuels plants of the Refinery was successfully debottlenecked from 50,000 BPSD to 60,000 BPSD, bringing the total refinery installed capacity to 110,000 BPSD.
Olusola Bello