The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced its search for private companies to operate and maintain two of its major refineries—Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC). This move, revealed through an invitation for Expressions of Interest (EOI) posted on the company’s X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, marks a significant step towards ensuring the reliability and sustainability of Nigeria’s fuel supply and energy security.
The NNPC Ltd is seeking reputable and credible operations & maintenance companies to manage the operations of these refineries, which have a combined capacity of 235,000 barrels per day (bpd). The Warri Refinery, with a capacity of 125,000 bpd, and the Kaduna Refinery, with a capacity of 110,000 bpd, are two of Nigeria’s four refineries that have been non-operational for years, forcing the country to depend on imported petroleum products.
According to NNPC Ltd, the tender process for WRPC and KRPC will be handled as a single tender through a three-stage process, encompassing Expressions of Interest (EOI), Technical, and Commercial stages. The state-oil firm aims to leverage opportunities in procurement, personnel management, and the utilization of advanced systems like Computerised Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) and Warehousing Management System (WMS) to enhance efficiency.
The circular issued by NNPC Ltd outlines specific statutory requirements for companies interested in bidding, signaling a rigorous selection process to identify capable partners for this critical task.
This initiative is part of broader efforts by NNPC Ltd to revitalize Nigeria’s refining capacity and reduce the nation’s dependency on imported fuel, addressing one of the longstanding challenges in the country’s energy sector.
