Nigeria’s Dangote refinery, larger than any other in Africa or Europe, has shipped its first seaborne gasoline cargo as a vital fuel-producing unit continues to ramp up.

The Sabaek sailed with about 500,000 barrels of gasoline from Dangote to the nearby commercial hub of Lagos in recent days, according to a port report and ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, the refinery’s residue fluid catalytic cracker, a crucial unit in the production of the fuel, is continuing to ramp up output, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named discussing private information.

Spokespeople for Dangote didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Once fully operational, the 650,000-barrel-a-day plant will transform the regional gasoline market, potentially reducing the need for imports of the fuel from Europe to West Africa.

https://gcaptain.com/africas-largest-oil-refinery-ships-first-cargo-dangote