Senate Committee Discloses Port Harcourt Refinery's Readiness
- Members of the Senate Committee investigating the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refinery have hinted at its readiness
- The committee member disclosed that the facility is about 90% ready and would commence operations soon
- The Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, expressed optimism about the readiness of the refinery
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Legit.ng's Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.
The Senate Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the Turnaround Maintenance of Nigeria's refineries has revealed that the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery is about 90% complete and will commence operations before the end of the year.
The committee chairman, Ifeanyi Uba, disclosed this in the Rivers State capital during a visit by the committee members to the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Source: UGC
IPMAN members express optimism
Uba's statement follows a similar one by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), which said the facility is mainly completed.
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The IPMAN Port Harcourt Branch Chairman, Tekena Ikpaki, said that the refinery would start releasing products any time soon.
Ikpaki noted that the refinery management had told marketers it would be ready soon.
Uba gave no specifics but said the committee is in the State to investigate work progress at the refinery.
He said:
"We will recall that the old Port Harcourt Refinery was the first refinery in Nigeria, built in 1965, and the second one in 1989. For so long now, it has not been in active operations.
"And with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, and also the desire of Nigerians and our determination, the Senate led by our President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, we had a resolution in the Senate to look at it and make sure that Nigeria's refineries are working so that we shouldn't be depending on importation of petroleum products", he said.
According to reports, the committee also investigates the contracts and the compliance level of contract specifications.
Rivers State constructs roads linking the refinery
The Rivers State governor, Fubara, stated that his government was working with President Bola Tinubu's government to implement policies designed to better the lives of Nigerians.
Fubara said that one of the State's roads was constructed to provide a bypass to easily access the Port Harcourt Refinery and reduce traffic from East-West Road.
Per the governor, the reason for governance is to reduce the number of people in hardship.
Fubara said:
"Before the commencement of the rehabilitation job, we, as a state, had a contribution that we wanted to make to support the work at the refinery because of the deplorable State of the East-West Road.
"There is a road: Woji-Aleto-Alesa Refinery Road. We are almost completing the bridge. It's about 70 percent completed. We are doing virtually the last part of it. That road will help to decongest and reduce the trouble commuters face along the East-West Road while providing easy access straight to the refinery.
He explained the benefits derivable when the refinery is fully functional.
"When the refinery restarts production, petroleum products will be available locally. The issue of importation will go down. We will now make an impact. The economy will grow, and internally generated revenue will increase. More projects will be executed in this State. You can see that it's a chain effect thing. So, I want to thank you," he stated.
Another Nigerian refinery set date to begin selling fuel
Legit.ng reported that oil marketers visited the Port Harcourt Refinery Company in Rivers State and expressed hope that the facility would start releasing refined petroleum products this month.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) members said the facility’s rehabilitation has been mainly completed.
The IPMAN members said the plant will be ready this month, as earlier speculated by Mele Kyari, the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
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Source: Legit.ng
