Engineers India Wins $450 Million Contract for Dangote’s Planned Kenya Refinery

Engineers India Ltd. (EIL) has secured a contract worth more than $450 million from Dangote Group to support the development of a planned 700,000 barrel a day refinery and petrochemical complex in Lamu, Kenya.

The contract, announced on September 22, covers project management consultancy, engineering, procurement and construction management for the $16 billion project.

Dangote plans to begin construction by the end of September. The refinery is expected to increase petroleum production in East Africa, reduce reliance on imported fuel and supply products to international markets.

EIL Extends 13-Year Dangote Partnership

The Kenya contract builds on a relationship between EIL and Dangote that began in 2013. EIL initially won a $139 million engineering contract for a refinery and polypropylene plant that would eventually become part of Dangote’s major refining and petrochemical complex in Lekki, Nigeria.

The project included a refinery and a polypropylene unit with planned annual production of 600,000 metric tons. EIL later provided technical consultancy services during the development of the facility.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki is now operating with a refining capacity of 650,000 barrels a day, producing gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel and polypropylene.

EIL is also involved in the planned expansion of the Nigerian complex, which aims to increase refining capacity to 1.4 million barrels a day by 2029.

Dangote also plans to raise polypropylene production from 830,000 metric tons to 2.4 million metric tons a year through upgrades to the existing facility and additional equipment.

Dangote Targets East African Refining Market

The Lamu refinery will give Dangote a major refining and petrochemical presence in East Africa as the group expands beyond Nigeria.

The project is also linked to Dangote’s plans for regional energy infrastructure. The company has proposed a pipeline connection between Lamu and Ethiopia, alongside a separate Djibouti-Ethiopia connection, forming part of a proposed 4,000-kilometre network serving landlocked markets in the region.

The Kenyan project expands Dangote’s refining and petrochemical operations into East Africa, adding to its existing investment in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. For Engineers India, the $450 million contract extends its work with Dangote and gives the company a major role in the engineering, procurement and construction management of the Lamu refinery and petrochemical complex.