Angola to triple refinery capacity

The Luanda Refinery’s capacity to produce petrol will be increased from 380 to 1,200 tonnes per day, local media reported Wednesday.

The facility’s managing director, Custódio Gonçalves, said Eni and <a href=’https://staging.theenergyyear.com/companies-institutions/sonangol/’>Sonangol would work together on the construction of a new petrol refining unit within 40 months.

Speaking during a visit to the company by Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum Diamantino de Azevedo, Gonçalves added that the Luanda Refinery will close for maintenance in June and July. He said the refinery hadn’t undergone maintenance in seven years though it is recommended every five.

The Luanda Refinery, constructed in 1955, produces 39,000 bpd at maximum capacity, covering about a fifth of the country’s demand. However, it rarely works at top speed, forcing Angola to rely on the import of refined products.