Dangote Refinery Begins Turnaround Maintenance to Stabilize Operations as RFCC Offline Till January

Nigeria’s Dangote refinery has begun a planned turnaround that will pause its main gasoline unit, the residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC), and briefly halt all crude processing in early 2026, according to company Vice President Devakumar Edwin.

In comments to Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, Edwin said that maintenance on the RFCC began last week and will end in late January.

Contrary to previous statements on the scope of the works, the executive confirmed plans to suspend the site’s crude distillation unit (CDU), but said the process would only last “a few days” in January.

The refinery has had to manage several planned and unplanned maintenance windows as it scales up to full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, however this short CDU turnaround is expected to boost capacity.

Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) refers to a planned, temporary shutdown of a unit or the entire facility for equipment renewal, inspection, and repair, which is essential to ensure long-term stability and efficiency.

The Gasoline-producing unit (RFCCU) has seen the most operational volatility. It was shut down in late August 2025 due to technical issues (catalyst leaks), with an extended repair timeline until early November 2025.

The unit restarted in October 2025 at a reduced rate of 60% capacity.

A significant, planned maintenance shutdown for the gasoline unit (Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit) involving catalyst replacement and reactor repairs was tentatively expected for a 30-day period in June 2025 but was reportedly cancelled or rescheduled, with a later, shorter Fluid Catalytic Cracker maintenance moved to December 15, 2025.

While the refinery aims to operate for five years before its first major TAM (unlike older refineries that require more frequent shutdowns), these phased maintenance actions are necessary to stabilize the various units and ensure the plant can meet its goal of delivering 94% lighter, high-value products like PMS (petrol) and AGO (diesel).

Edwin in October said that the Dangote refinery had 310 million litres of current finished product inventory in storage tanks, separate from the volume being produced daily.

This stock provides a massive buffer to ensure continuous supply even if maintenance (like the turnaround) is underway.

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