BY KENNETH EZE
Dangote’s $2 billion Petrochemical Plant situated in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, is designed to produce 77 different high-performance grades of polypropylene.
Offering an update on the petrochemical plant to the media in Lagos, Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects & Portfolio Development, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin said the Dangote Petrochemical, would drive investment in the downstream industries massively, generating huge value addition in the country, generate employment, increase tax revenues, reduce foreign exchange outflow and increase the GDP of the country.
He added that the plant, which is nearing completion, would also soon embark on the production of polyethylene products.
Edwin said, “The Dangote Petrochemical plant is being built alongside the refinery. Primarily, the Dangote Petrochemical Plant is going to produce polypropylene products. We are thinking of adding polyethylene products at a later stage.
“We have 77 types of polypropylene, which can go for different uses, which we can be produced from our petrochemical plant. Currently, the plant is capable of producing about 900,000 tonnes of polypropylene per annum. Our Petrochemical plant should be the biggest in Africa.”
He added that the petrochemical plant would reduce the demand for foreign exchange from the nation’s treasury to import petrochemical by-products.
“Right now, raw materials from polypropylene are imported into the country. There is no foreign exchange for manufacturers to import raw materials. The Dangote Petrochemical plant is going to take care of this challenge.
“When the raw materials are locally available, there will be many more people who will be willing to invest in the economy. So, it not just the savings of foreign exchange from petrochemical products’ importation, the country’s downstream sector will also benefit hugely from the availability of petrochemicals in the country, Edwin added.
The Point gathered that, with a turnover of $1.2 billion, the 900,000 metric tonnes per annum capacity the Dangote Petrochemical plant, situated alongside the Dangote Refinery, has been strategically positioned to cater to the demands of the growing plastic processing downstream industries; not only in Africa, but also in other parts of the world.
