Europe is accelerating the search for new fuel sources as the strategic transport route through the Strait of Hormuz is constantly disrupted by military tensions. In that context, Africa's largest oil refinery Dangote has announced its willingness to expand exports to the European Union (EU) market.
According to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Dangote's spokesman - Mr. Anthony Chiejina - said that this facility is fully capable of meeting the increasing demand from Europe after exporting about 450,000 tons of fuel to 12 African countries lacking supply.
We are ready for increased demand from Europe," Anthony Chiejina emphasized, saying the plant currently produces balanced gasoline and diesel - two items being hunted in the EU.
The EU's energy demand currently exceeds 10 million barrels/day. Of which, road transport accounts for more than half, aviation and sea transport nearly 2 million barrels, and the rest is industry and petrochemicals. The Netherlands alone consumes nearly 500,000 barrels/day - a figure showing that the pressure to find alternative sources is very large.
The Dangote plant located in Lagos (Nigeria) has a capacity of up to 650,000 barrels/day, considered the largest oil refinery in Africa. Since 2024, this facility has begun exporting aviation fuel to Rotterdam (Netherlands) - Europe's major energy center - in the context of the EU reducing dependence on Russian oil and gas supplies.
However, experts believe that the scale of Dangote, although impressive, still cannot meet the entire "energy thirst" of Europe. Mr. Sjaak Poppe - Spokesperson of the Rotterdam Port Authority - said that this plant can only reduce some heat for the market.
This is a very large facility, even one and a half times the Shell Pernis factory, but their contribution is still small compared to the total demand of the Netherlands and Europe. Currently, everyone is hunting for fuel," he said.
Not only Africa, other sources of supply are also being activated. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said that Algeria will increase gas supplies to Madrid through the Mediterranean-cross-Medgaz pipeline - a transportation route with a nominal capacity of 32 million m3/day.
