
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),has signed Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation and Commissioning (EPCIC) contract for the rehabilitation of the 210,000 barrels per day capacity Port Harcourt Refinery in Alesa-Eleme, Rivers State.
The rehabilitation project which has a completion timeline of between 18 and 44 months under a three-phase arrangement was awarded to Milan based Tecnimont SpA at a lump sum contract price of US$1.5 billion, inclusive of VAT and other statutory payments.
Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, described the rehabilitation project as a dream come true, noting that the project was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to the Nigerian people to make the refineries work.
He explained that in arriving at the choice of Tecnimont SpA, the Corporation embarked on a transparent tender process which can withstand any forensic audit, noting that NNPC was ready and open to answer any question pertaining to the project.
He assured that the same transparent process has been emplaced for the rehabilitation of the Warri and Kaduna Refineries whose EPCIC contracts would be awarded in June 2021.
Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, Engr. Ahmed Dikko, explained that Phases 1 and 2 of the project would get the refinery ready to receive hydrocarbon, while Phase 3 will focus on the start-up the refinery for operation, stressing that the entire work shall be delivered in 44 months from today.
Vice President, Sub-Saharan Africa Region of Tecnimont SpA, Davide Pelizzola, promised his company’s readiness to work with the NNPC to comply with the terms and obligations of the contract.