Process technology, catalysts and proprietary equipment from Honeywell's UOP will form the basis for the largest refinery in Africa, reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuels and petrochemicals, Honeywell officials said on Wednesday.

Dangote Oil Refining Co. selected UOP technology for a world-scale integrated refinery and petrochemicalplant to be built in Lekki, near the capital of Lagos in southwestern Nigeria. 

Nigeria has the second-largest amount of proven oil reserves in Africa – an estimated 37.2 billion bbl, according to Oil & Gas Journal. However, the country currently imports most of its refined product requirements due to lack of domestic refining capacity. 

“UOP has been designing state-of-the-art refineries and petrochemical plants for more than a century, so we are well-equipped to help Nigeria develop a massive new installation to meet its domestic needs,” said Pete Piotrowski, senior vice president and general manager of UOP’s process, technology and equipment business. 

“This project will enable Dangote to improve Nigeria’s oil refining capabilities, reduce the country’s dependence on imports, and work to revive and transform the Nigerian economy," he added.

The Dangote Group is the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest in Africa. The company has a number of interests, including cement, real estate, oil, natural gas, telecommunications, fertilizer and steel. The group focuses on local, value-added products and services that meet the needs of the African population. 

In addition to processing crude oil to produce high-quality gasoline, diesel and jet fuel that meet Euro V specifications for reduced emissions, the new facility will produce world-scale quantities of polypropylene (PP), a key petrochemical used in plastics and packaging. 

UOP technologies at this facility will include: 

• The UOP Resid Fluid Catalytic Cracking process to produce transportation fuels from crude oil. It will also supply propylene, which will be used as a feedstock for polypropylene.
• The CCR Platforming process to produce high-octane gasoline blending components.
• The Unicracking process to produce diesel. 
• The Penex process to produce high-octane gasoline.
• The crude distillation unit (CDU) design, which will be provided by UOP’s alliance partner, Process Consulting Services

In addition to technology licensing and design services, the UOP organization is working with Dangote to provide catalysts, adsorbents and proprietary equipment for the project.