The debate over the sulphur content in diesel from Dangote Petroleum Refinery is intensifying.
Recent online reports, as noted by The PUNCH, allege that the diesel produced by the $20 billion refinery has elevated levels of sulphur. Despite these claims, oil marketers have not received any complaints from motorists or industrial users about the diesel.
Abubakar Maigandi, the National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, commented, “We wish to stay out of the ongoing disputes about Dangote diesel. However, I can confirm that we have not received any complaints from transporters, motorists, or industrial consumers since we began distributing it.”
A senior Dangote Group official has rejected the sulphur content allegations, suggesting that they are attempts to discredit the refinery and calling the reports “fake.”
In previous statements, Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote and other officials have accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of importing substandard fuel.
“Since January 2021, ECOWAS regulations have prohibited the import of highly contaminated diesel into the region,” Edwin added.
In response, NMDPRA Chief Executive Farouk Ahmed denied the sabotage allegations and stated that Dangote’s diesel had higher sulphur content compared to imported products.
Ahmed revealed that the Dangote refinery was still in the pre-commissioning stage, with only 45 percent completion, and criticized the refinery’s request for exclusive supply rights. He remarked that Dangote’s diesel quality was below West African standards, with sulphur levels reported between 650 to 1,200 ppm, as opposed to the lower standards required.
Dangote, during a recent House of Representatives tour led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, asserted that their diesel is of superior quality compared to imports.
The testing of diesel samples from Dangote and other stations showed Dangote’s diesel with a sulphur content of 87.6 ppm, while other samples had sulphur levels exceeding 1,800 ppm and 2,000 ppm.
Dangote highlighted, “We produce the best diesel in Nigeria… It is disheartening that instead of safeguarding the market, the regulator is undermining it.” He criticized the authenticity of competing products’ quality certifications, suggesting that many were fraudulent.
The NMDPRA spokesperson, George Ene-Ita, confirmed that engineers and scientists from the NMDPRA are embedded in the refinery to verify the sulphur content. However, the regulator has not yet released their findings.
Additional online reports alleged that Dangote diesel supplied between April and July had sulphur levels as high as 1,200 ppm. It was also claimed that a recent shipment to AA Rano’s depot contained 950 ppm of sulphur, with a quality certificate from Intertek dated July 21.
A Dangote official dismissed these reports as falsehoods intended to tarnish the refinery’s reputation.
The refinery, which is expected to begin selling petrol soon, has garnered support from President Bola Tinubu, who has instructed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to sell crude to Dangote in naira. Civil Society Organizations have announced plans to monitor compliance with the presidential directive for crude supply.
Solomon Adodo of Rise Up for a United Nigeria expressed dismay at the regulatory opposition to Dangote’s refinery, suggesting that vested interests are impeding the nation’s progress.
Adodo said, “We have seen for ourselves and we have cleared all doubt as to the completion of this refinery and its readiness to supply all our domestic needs.”
Dangote’s vision for the refinery is to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel and boost local production.