Upgrading of Mombasa based oil refinery

Last Updated 16 years ago by Kenya Engineer

Upgrading of Mombasa based oil refinery is set to begin in the first quarter of 2011, this will see the refinery produce more environment friendly products efficiently. The project will involve building of a new cracking unit and a desulphurization facility and is expected to cost $ 450 million. KBC Process Technology Ltd. has been contracted to undertake final configuration and a feasibility study to be presented to the government of Kenya and Essar Energy Overseas Ltd. The scope of the work entails putting up of bulk liquefied petroleum gas storage facility to be reviewed by the same consulting firm once production has been established depending on the technology preferred.

The desulphurization plant will enable the refinery to produce a diesel of very low carbon and sulphur content. A cording to the Hydrocarbons Management Consultant the sulphur level could go upto less than 0.5 percent in the final diesel product. This is quite in line with the global trends. ‘The upgrade has to include a thermal cracking unit to increase the yield of the white products from fuel oil,’ said Mr. Robert Permanent secretary of Ministry Energy, Mr. Patrick Nyoike said recently that the planned upgrading is intended to modernize the plant to increase its efficiency. ‘A configuration study is currently on-going Upgrading of Mombasa based oil refinery of which a report is due at end of August 2010.

The upgrading is expected to start by the begging of the first quarter of 2011,’ he confirmed. This will only happen after the approval of necessary funding needed. Essar acquired 17.1 per cent of shares of Shell Petroleum Company Ltd, BP Africa Ltd (17.1 per cent) and Chevron Global Energy Inc (15.8 per cent). Kenya Petroleum Refineries projects an increase in LPG production to 120,000 metric tonnes annually upon completion of the upgrading process. This is expected to take place within a period of four years.