African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARDA) Executive Secretary to Unlock Downstream Investments at Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2024

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Executive Secretary of the African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARDA), Anibor Kragha, will speak at this year’s Invest in African Energy (IAE) forum, taking place in Paris on May 14-15. Representing the sole pan-African organization for the African downstream oil sector, Kragha is expected to outline the sector’s investment needs and opportunities for global investors to engage in Africa’s downstream drive.

Since assuming his position as Executive Secretary in 2020, Kragha has advocated for enhanced energy security on the back of new refining and distribution capacity across the continent. Some of Africa’s largest crude oil producers – including Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, Egypt and Libya – are spearheading large-scale downstream projects, transforming their respective refining, transportation and marketing capabilities.

Organized by Energy Capital & Power, IAE 2024 is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 14-15 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com.

“ARDA’s participation at the IAE forum is poised to promote a greater understanding of the state of Africa’s downstream industry, offering insight into how the sector can improve access to new finance and technology,” says Sandra Jeque, Event and Project Director at Energy Capital & Power, organizers of IAE 2024. “With built-in local markets featuring unmet demand, Africa’s downstream presents considerable opportunities not only in financing and commissioning new facilities, but also upgrading existing infrastructures, which are currently being underutilized.”

In a bid to meet rising demand for refined petroleum products, African countries have launched several large-scale developments in recent months, presenting associated opportunities in fuel transport, storage and services. Last January, the Dangote Refinery – Africa’s biggest oil refinery – began production in Nigeria, producing 650,000 barrels per day (bpd). The country is seeking to rehabilitate its existing refineries while constructing new, small-scale and modular facilities, with a view to becoming a net fuel exporter in 2024.

Meanwhile, Angola is leading the construction of several new refineries to reduce its dependence on refined petroleum imports, with the 60,000-bpd Cabinda, 200,000-bpd Lobito and 100,000-bpd Soyo refineries underway. Gabon’s Port Gentil refinery plans to expand its processing capacity to 1.5 million tons with the addition of a hydrocracking unit, expected to increase domestic production of diesel and butane and eliminate the need for fuel subsidies.

South Sudan’s Bentiu refinery is seeking to expand regional distribution, as the country looks to increase installed refining capacity on the back of new downstream investment. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) also received its first 100 km of pipes at the Port of Dar es Salaam last December and will play a critical role in expanding fuel distribution across the wider region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.