Latest news with #CORAF
Zawya
27-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Congo Energy & Investment Forum (CEIF) 2025 Panel Underscores Congo's Potential to Meet Regional Petroleum Demand
The Republic of Congo is well-positioned to contribute toward regional demand for petroleum, given the country's operating Congolaise de Raffinage (CORAF) refinery and strategic geographic location. A downstream panel discussion at the Congo Energy&Investment Forum 2025 highlighted that the modernization of CORAF and future downstream investments can support growing demand for fuel, as Central Africa's population is expected to rapidly grow. 'Congo's population is expected to add five million people by 2050. Geographically, the country is also blessed to be situated next to the DRC. So, you have a massive market right here. I am excited to get to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) [in Congo], but most people don't see crude oil: they use jet fuel, diesel and by-products. We need to talk about infrastructure investments,' stated Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary of the African Refiners&Distributors Association. The Republic of Congo's ambitions to increase oil and gas output to 500,000 bpd and three million tons per annum (mtpa), respectively, coincide with a drive to enhance fuel security in both the country and broader region. At present, the country's CORAF refinery has a processing capacity of one mtpa, converting crude oil into finished products such as butane gas, gasoline, kerosene and light diesel. 'CORAF was designed to work with one million tons of crude petroleum. Today, it continues to satisfy the needs of the local market, catering for between 65% to 70% of demand while the rest is imported to help the country. CORAF is in the process of being modernized in order to increase its production capacity,' stated Richard Ngola, Managing Director: Downstream, Ministry of Hydrocarbons, Republic of Congo. This modernization started in 2015, when the need to improve operating units became prevalent. According to Patrice Yao, Deputy Administrator at CORAF, 'We designed a development plan to enable new units to be installed and to modernize the piloting system. When the units are old, you have the challenge of maintenance, technological issues and human resources. New units enabled an increase in processing capacity.' However, Yao believes that this is not enough, and the country needs to increase the quantity of products for the national market while investing in new downstream projects. To increase downstream capacity, the government has initiated the construction of a second facility: the Atlantic Petrochemical Refinery. This facility – developed in partnership with Beijing Fortune Dingheng Investment – will have a capacity of 2.3 mtpa in the first phase, focusing on high-quality gasoline and diesel. Set to start operations in late-2025, the refinery will provide a much-needed boost for the country's downstream sector. However, Kragha noted that downstream investments need to go beyond refining. 'You need to look not only at the refinery expansion but the supporting infrastructure to be able to deliver on your objectives,' he said. The inaugural Congo Energy&Investment Forum, taking place March 24-26, 2025, in Brazzaville, under the highest patronage of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and supported by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo, brings together international investors and local stakeholders to explore national and regional energy and infrastructure opportunities. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
Zawya
13-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to Speak at Congo Energy & Investment Forum (CEIF) 2025, Downstream Projects in Focus
The Republic of Congo's commitment to reducing imports and driving electrification has positioned the country at the forefront of a robust intra-African oil and gas industry. As Africa undertakes a strategic approach to harmonizing fuels standards, coordinating regional regulations and expanding an inclusive downstream sector, Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary and CEO of the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) will participate at the inaugural Congo Energy&Investment Forum (CEIF) this month in Brazzaville. With the first 25 MW turbine of the Djeno Power Plant scheduled to commence operations in March 2024, the Republic of Congo is well positioned to modernize its downstream infrastructure and address energy insecurity in the country. Traditionally powered by oil, the plant – operated by Aksa Enerji – has been transitioned to natural gas, which is sourced from energy major Eni's Marine XII and M'Boundi fields. The inaugural Congo Energy&Investment Forum, set for March 24-26, 2025, in Brazzaville, under the patronage of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and supported by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo, will bring together international investors and local stakeholders to explore national and regional energy and infrastructure opportunities. The event will explore the latest gas-to-power projects and provide updates on ongoing expansions across the country. The Congolaise de Raffinage (CORAF), a subsidiary of the state-owned Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), operates the only refinery in Congo. Situated in Pointe-Noire, CORAF has an annual processing capacity of one million tons and refines crude oil into various products, including butane gas, gasoline, kerosene, light diesel and heavy fuel oil. This refinery meets roughly 70% of the nation's demand for refined petroleum products. Most of the crude oil processed at CORAF is supplied from the Djeno terminal, situated south of Pointe-Noire, which handles 95% of the country's oil production. The terminal is connected to the refinery by a 25km pipeline. To meet the increasing domestic demand and reduce dependence on imports, the government has begun the construction of a new refinery in Fouta, near Pointe-Noire. This new facility, called the Atlantic Petrochemical Refinery, is being developed in collaboration with Chinese company Beijing Fortune Dingheng Investment, with an estimated investment of $600 million. The first phase of the project aims for a production capacity of 2.5 million tons per year, focusing on high-quality gasoline and diesel, as well as domestic products such as LPG, kerosene and fuel oil. Operations for the Atlantic Petrochemical Refinery are expected to begin by the end of 2025. Highlighting the fundamental need to invest more heavily in downstream infrastructure, Kragha recently indicated that up to 60% of the African energy matrix will be fossil fuel driven by 2040. With a view to reducing petroleum imports and driving resource monetization throughout the continent, ARDA has noted that expanding the downstream sector will require coordinated regional regulations, market-based pricing and a focus on minimizing supply chain risks. 'Anibor Kragha's participation at the inaugural CEIF event is a key opportunity to gain valuable insights into the ongoing efforts to modernize Congo's energy and infrastructure sectors. Kragha brings a wealth of expertise and a unique perspective on the importance of upgrading downstream facilities to ensure energy security and sustainable development and his contributions will be instrumental in driving economic growth, enhancing energy access and advancing regional cooperation,' states Sandra Jeque, Events and Project Director at Energy Capital&Power. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
