Zambia intends to build a copperbelt oil refinery with 60,000 barrels per day

The government of Zambia said on Monday that it has signed an agreement that opens the door for the construction of an energy complex and crude oil refinery worth $1.1 billion in Ndola, in the copperbelt region of the country.

According to a government statement, the proposed plant will process roughly 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day, producing enough refined goods to meet the country’s total fuel needs today and maybe opening the door for future exports to neighboring countries.

When finished, it will save the country millions of dollars a year in fuel imports, the statement continued.

With a first phase of commercial operations scheduled for 2026, officials anticipate that construction will begin in the third quarter of 2025.

China’s Fujian Xiang Xin Corporation and Zambia’s Industrial Development Corporation came to an agreement.

A representative for IDC told Reuters that the refinery would import oil through the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam and source it from the Middle East.

According to Zambia’s government, the proposed energy complex will contain facilities for bitumen extraction, lubricant blending, liquefied petroleum gas bottling, and a 130 megawatt power plant in addition to fuel production.