Dangote Petroleum Refinery has strengthened Nigeria’s position in the global energy market after emerging as Europe’s largest supplier of jet fuel for the second consecutive month, overtaking the United States. The development highlights the growing influence of the 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery and its rising role in reshaping international fuel trade.
According to European import data compiled by commodities intelligence firm Kpler, Dangote Refinery supplied more than 400,000 tonnes of jet fuel to Europe in July, representing about 20 per cent of the continent’s total jet fuel imports for the month. The performance follows a record 466,000 tonnes exported to Europe in June, when Nigeria first displaced the U.S. as Europe’s leading imported jet fuel supplier.
Europe imported about 2.06 million tonnes of jet fuel in July, with Dangote accounting for the largest single share ahead of suppliers from the United States and the Middle East. Industry observers say the refinery’s location on Nigeria’s Atlantic coast, combined with its large-scale production capacity and modern technology, is helping it become a major alternative for European buyers traditionally dependent on suppliers from the U.S., Middle East and Asia.
The refinery’s growing export capacity has also been supported by rising production and strong crude deliveries. Jet fuel loadings at Dangote’s Lekki export terminal reached a record 550,000 tonnes in June, while crude deliveries climbed to an all-time high of 660,000 barrels per day. With global energy flows being affected by geopolitical tensions and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, European buyers are increasingly looking to diversify their sources of supply.
Beyond jet fuel, Dangote Refinery is expanding exports of diesel, gasoline and other refined petroleum products to markets across Europe, Africa and beyond. David Bird, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, said the refinery now accounts for about one-fifth of Europe’s jet fuel imports, underscoring Nigeria’s growing presence in the international aviation fuel market and its ambition to become a major exporter of refined petroleum products.
source: The nation
