The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has announced a significant milestone in the ongoing rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery. According to an official video update released by the company, Substation 1 has now been energized—paving the way for the activation of 14 additional substations critical to the refinery’s full-scale operations.
This development signals progress toward restarting one of Nigeria’s key refining assets, which has long been under rehabilitation. The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, emphasized that the refinery’s readiness level is approaching completion, although public skepticism remains over the previously projected December start date.
Key Infrastructure and Local Content Drive Progress
To power the 15 substations required for refinery operations, NNPC engineers have laid approximately 64 kilometers of electrical cable—65% of which were sourced locally. The successful energization of Substation 1 establishes a central power hub that will supply electricity to both the old and newly upgraded sections of the refinery.
The facility is expected to begin receiving power from gas turbine generators by mid-December 2023, according to ThisDay. These generators will provide electricity to various units across the refinery complex.
Lead Electrical Engineer Chukwudi Iweha highlighted the strategic importance of energizing Substation 1, which has been fully equipped with modern switchgear systems. This includes both high- and low-voltage panels, as well as motor control center (MCC) panels capable of handling up to 11,000 volts. Over 100 technical staff contributed to the panel installations and upgrades.
“We have completely replaced all outdated equipment at Substation 1 with the latest electrical technology to ensure optimal performance and safety,” Iweha confirmed.
Operational Readiness Timeline Under Scrutiny
Despite NNPC’s optimism, industry experts remain cautious. Alex Ogedengbe, a former Executive Director at NNPC and one-time Managing Director of the Kaduna Refinery, noted that even if the rehabilitation is completed by year-end, a three-month test run period would likely be required before full operations can begin.
“Based on standard procedure, a test run is essential to calibrate and verify the performance of the systems. I would be surprised if operations begin this month given that NNPC stated recently that the project is only 75% complete,” Ogedengbe commented.
Taiwo Igbosanu, the Lead Instrumentation and Automation Engineer for the project, added that critical control systems have been installed, with operations being managed by four dedicated engineering and operations workstations.
Dangote Refinery’s Debut Adds Competitive Pressure
Meanwhile, the buzz surrounding Nigeria’s refining sector has intensified following the official production kickoff at the $20 billion Dangote Refinery. After multiple delays, the facility received its first crude shipment from the Chevron-operated Agbami oil field—an event widely shared across social media platforms.
While the Dangote facility is expected to transform Nigeria’s fuel supply landscape, NNPC’s accelerated efforts at Port Harcourt show a clear determination to restore national refining capacity and reduce reliance on imported fuel.
