Zambia has signed a $1.1 billion agreement with China’s Fujian Xiang Xin to build a major oil refinery in Ndola, with a dedicated lubricants blending facility, reports Reuters.
The refinery is a step toward energy self-reliance for the country and one of 13 memoranda of understanding worth U.S.$2.6 billion signed at a recent government investment drive in the capital Lusaka.
The new plant has nameplate capacity of 60,000 barrels per day and will be part of a broader integrated energy complex, including fuel refining, LPG and bitumen production units, as well as the lubricant blending unit.
“The project will stimulate investment in new storage facilities, rail upgrades, and provide feedstock for sectors such as plastics, fertilizers, synthetic materials and asphalt manufacturing,” the Industrial Development Corporation said in a press release.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025, with commercial operations under the first phase expected to begin in 2026.