Africa leads global refinery VDU capacity additions by 2025 – GlobalData

Africa is expected to register the highest refinery vacuum distillation units (VDU) capacity additions globally during 2021 to 2025, contributing around 33% of the total capacity additions by 2025, says GlobalData, a leading data, and analytics company.

The company’s report, ‘Global Refinery Vacuum Distillation Units (VDU) Outlook to 2025 – Capacity and Capital Expenditure Outlook with Details of All Operating and Planned Vacuum Distillation Units‘, reveals that Africa is likely to witness total VDU capacity additions of 936 thousand barrels per day (mbd) by 2025. Of this, 917 mbd of capacity would be from new build refineries and the remaining capacity from the expansion of existing refineries.

Teja Pappoppula, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Nigeria leads new build VDU capacity additions in Africa by 2025, accounting for around one-half of the total capacity additions. The planned Lagos I refinery accounts for the majority of the capacity additions in the country, with a capacity of 312 mbd expected to be added in 2022. The Mostorod II refinery in Egypt is the only upcoming expansion project in Africa with 19 mbd of capacity expected to be added in 2022.”

GlobalData identifies Asia as the second highest contributor to the global VDU capacity additions, accounting for roughly 29% of the total additions by 2025. The planned Gulei refinery in China is one of the highest contributors in the region with 154 mbd of capacity expected to become operational in 2022.

The Middle East ranks third globally, contributing an estimated 20% of global VDU capacity additions during the outlook period. Iraq accounts for the majority of the capacity additions in the region, with 300 mbd of capacity expected to be added by 2025 from five new build and one expansion project.