Announced at the end of 2022, the Atlantic petrochemical refinery under construction at Fouta near Pointe-Noire is now scheduled to come on stream before the end of 2025, according to the Congo Energy & Investment Forum (CEIF). This ambitious project, estimated to cost $600 million, is designed to reduce the Congo's chronic shortage of petroleum products and boost national energy security.<\/p>\n
With an initial capacity of 2.5 million tonnes a year, expandable to 5 million, the refinery will become the country's largest plant, specialising in the production of high-quality petrol and diesel. \"The Atlantic petrochemical refinery is expected to come on stream by the end of 2025, making a significant contribution to national energy security,\" says a CEIF press release. The launch, expected almost three years after the initial schedule, marks a crucial step for the Congolese energy sector.<\/p>\n
Launched in February 2021 on a 240-hectare site in Fouta, construction of the refinery, co-developed by the Chinese company Beijing Fortune Dingheng Investment, was due to be completed in two years. However, difficulties in raising funds have led to delays, pushing back the start-up date originally promised for 2023. \"Two years ago, the Chinese partner acknowledged that the work had been delayed because of the financing, without specifying a new timetable at the time.<\/p>\n
Congo's current refining capacity is limited to 1 million tonnes a year, mainly via the Congolaise de raffinage (Coraf), a subsidiary of the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 nationale des p\u00e9troles du Congo (SNPC). With an actual production of 840,000 tonnes per year, Coraf only covers 70% of national needs, estimated at 1.2 million tonnes according to the 2021-2022 economic report. If the new refinery achieves its objectives, it will increase the country's total capacity to 3.5 million tonnes, enabling it to meet domestic demand and reduce dependence on imports.<\/p>\n
The Congo, the fourth largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, spends around CFAF 600 billion a year importing crude oil and petroleum products, according to the National Statistics Institute (INS). This bill weighs heavily on the SNPC, the country's sole buyer, while the storage capacity of the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 commune de logistique du Congo (Sclog), rated \"low\" by the marketers' association in December 2024, limits the room for manoeuvre. \"The commissioning of the Fouta refinery will help to reduce this dependence on imports,\" stresses the CEIF.<\/p>\n
For 2025, the Congolese government is forecasting oil revenues of FCFA 1,231 billion, down 15.7% on the 1,465 billion targeted for 2024, due to price volatility and a slight downturn in production. Against this backdrop, the country is banking on a licensing cycle, a master plan and a new gas code to attract investors into the oil and gas value chain. The Atlantic petrochemical refinery is part of this strategy, aimed at modernising infrastructure and maximising the economic benefits of a key sector.<\/p>\n
As we look towards the end of the year, the success of this project will depend on the ability of the partners to overcome the final logistical and financial hurdles, in a country where access to affordable petroleum products remains a major issue.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Announced in late 2022, the start-up of the Atlantic petrochemical refinery, under construction in Fouta near Pointe-Noire, is now expected before the end of the year\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6955,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,676],"tags":[338,1134,341],"class_list":["post-6954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualite","category-petrole","tag-congo","tag-petrochimie","tag-raffinerie"],"yoast_head":"\n