Zambia: $1.1 billion refinery project in Ndola

Zambia is taking a strategic step forward in its energy policy. The country has signed a tripartite agreement with IDC Zambia and the Chinese group Fujian Xiang Xin to build an oil refinery in Ndola, in the north of the country.

This project, estimated at $1.1 billion, aims to refine 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day, equivalent to the country’s current fuel consumption. Ultimately, it should enable Zambia to reduce its dependence on imports, stabilize pump prices, and even target regional exports.The complex, which will also include a 130-megawatt power plant, a bitumen, lubricants, and LPG production unit, represents an industrial milestone for the country.

Crude will be imported from the Middle East via the port of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2025, with commercial operation expected in 2026.

This project marks a step towards energy self-sufficiency, with expected benefits for local employment, trade balance, and energy security in a country still heavily dependent on imports for its petroleum products.

source: africa news