New Refinery to Begin Fuel Production in December 2026
- Cameroon announced plans to begin fuel production from its new Mboro refinery in December 2026
- The first phase of the refinery is expected to meet about 22% of the country's domestic demand for petrol and diesel
- The project is part of the Cameroon government's plan to expand refining capacity to 30,000 barrels per day by 2027
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, the stock market, and broader market trends.
Cameroon will commence fuel production from its new refinery in December 2026. This will bring the country a step closer to improving its domestic refining capacity while reducing reliance on imported petroleum products.
The refinery is situated at Mboro near Kribi in the south of the country, and will commence operations initially at a 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) processing capacity, according to SNH, the country's state-owned oil firm.
Source: Getty Images
New refinery in Cameroon
It is projected that the first phase of the project will meet approximately 22% of the country's domestic gasoline and diesel demand once fuel production begins, thereby improving fuel availability, Petroleumprice.ng reports.
SNH stated that construction will commence in June, while procurement and fabrication of equipment for the first phase of the Mboro refinery project will take place up to September.
The Mboro refinery is part of a larger 30,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) project and is expected to reach its full processing capacity by 2027.
The development comes as Cameroon seeks to expand its refining capacity following the shutdown of its main refinery, Sonara. Located at Cape Limboh near Limbe, the facility was severely damaged by a fire in 2019 and has remained largely inactive since then.
Authorities are hopeful of commencing operations by December 2027 at a capacity of 42,000 bpd, and the Mboro refinery is expected to contribute greatly to fulfilling current deficits.
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SNH owns 20% of the Mboro refinery, with Tradex, a state-owned petroleum marketer, owning 31%, and Dubai-based Ariana Energy controlling the remaining 49%.
Source: Getty Images
Cameroon refinery to cost $520 million
The project is estimated at a cost of $520 million, which will be funded through shareholder capital and debt financing. SNH stated that BGFI Bank will head the financing syndicate, which is expected to provide $210 million of debt.
A 250,000-barrel petroleum products storage terminal is also to be constructed at Mboro and will be funded by SNH. Future plans include further storage facilities for diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel and kerosene.
Overall, the Mboro refinery will assist Cameroon in reducing its fuel imports and increasing its energy security while becoming more central to the refined products supply for the region.
Dangote refinery increases capacity
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery reached a landmark operational milestone, achieving its full nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd).
The development positioned the facility as one of the largest single-train refineries in the world and marked a defining moment for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The breakthrough followed the successful restoration and optimisation of the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Motor Spirit (MS) production block.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
