Albertine Graben Refinery Consortium Awarded Uganda Refinery

The General Electric, SAIPEM SPA led Albertine Graben Refinery Consortium (AGRC) will now build the oil refinery in Hoima District after the signing of the Project Framework Agreement between the government and the AGRC. The agreement will ensure development, design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the oil refinery in Hoima District.

While congratulating the parties to the agreement, President Museveni said the composition of the AGRC showed that Western companies were also waking up to realize Africa’s potential. Museveni has also challenged Western companies to take interest in helping Africa explore its resources potential, saying the continent presented immense business opportunities.

“Africa and the West share a lot of history together and there is a need for them to use these past linkages to further economic business,” said the President.

The AGRC comprises YAATRA Africa (Mauritius), Lionworks Group Limited (Mauritius), Nuovo Pignone International SRL (a General Electric Company located in Italy) and SAIPEM SPA (Italy). Uganda is represented in the consortium by the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), which is a limited liability petroleum company owned by the government.

The signing of the PFA means pre-Final Investment Decision (FID) activities like Front End Engineering and Design (FEED), Project Capital and Investment Costs Estimation (PCE), Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) can commence.

Under this agreement, AGRC will be responsible for funding the pre-FID activities listed above and will also proceed to construct and operate the refinery. The consortium has also been tasked to ensure Ugandans get jobs and skills out of the project.

The refinery, which will be developed as a commercial undertaking with focus on the regional market, will supply products like kerosene, petrol, diesel, heavy fuel oils, among others.The refinery will have a refining capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, relying on crude oil from Uganda.

The entire project will be implemented by a Special Purpose Company, the Refinery Company, that will be incorporated by the private investors and the Uganda Refinery Holding Company, which is a subsidiary of the Uganda National Oil Company.

AGRC commenced negotiations in 2017 following the fall out of Russia’s RT Global resources with the Uganda Government after talks collapsed with the ministry on downsizing the size of the refinery while SK Engineering the alternate bidder showed disinterest with the project thereafter.