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●Documents confirm that the quality of diesel is worse than the information presented
“In terms of quality, when we started, our quality was about six hundred to six hundred and fifty ppm, ppm was one of the best in terms of quality when we started. But today we are at 87 ppm. And you can take a sample on Monday. By Monday we will be at less than 50 ppm. By the beginning of August we will be at 10 ppm.
“In terms of quality, no one can produce anything better than us. I just got the result from our officer 5 minutes ago, now we are down to even 32 ppm,” – Aliko Dangote (Credit: Nairametrics)
In the heat of his dispute with oil regulators, Aliko Dangote, CEO of Dangote Refinery, has said that the diesel produced by his refinery has low sulphur content.
Speaking to reporters last month, he said his refinery’s product was of impeccable quality.
A report by Politics Nigeria says a series of exclusively obtained official documents have shown that Africa’s richest businessman may have misrepresented facts and possibly manipulated information.
Following a comprehensive analysis of data from certified laboratory results and delivery records, Dangote refinery diesel contains high sulphur content, at least 400 percent higher than European Union (EU) standards.
Mr Dangote recently accused major players and regulatory agencies of sabotaging the $19 billion refinery’s efforts to secure raw materials for its operations.
In response, Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (NMDPRA), said Dangote’s fuel had higher sulphur content, a harmful element in crude oil.
According to him, the refinery and other modular refineries produced diesel with a sulfur content of between 650 ppm (parts per million) and 1200 ppm.
Sulfur, a natural element found in crude oil, is usually removed during refining processes, because high amounts in fuel damage engines and cause environmental pollution.
“When you burn fuel with a high sulfur content, you produce sulfur dioxide (SO2), a harmful gas that contributes to environmental pollution.
“This is particularly worrying as sulphur dioxide is a major contributor to acid rain, which can damage ecosystems, buildings and infrastructure and pose a health risk to humans and animals,” explained a chemist at the University of Cambridge.
The harmful impact of sulfur in fuels has prompted many countries to introduce stringent regulations to reduce its amount in diesel fuel.
For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has limited sulfur content in diesel fuel to 15 ppm, while the European Union has specified a maximum of 50 ppm. One ppm equals 0.0001 percent by weight (wt).
● Dangote’s “advertising shock”
To discredit the NMDPRA CEO’s claims and shield itself from public scrutiny, Dangote Refinery arranged for its diesel to be tested during a tour of the plant by a group of House of Representatives members on July 20.
Samples from the refinery were collected along with some diesel samples taken from two petrol stations on the Lekki-Epe expressway.
“Laboratory tests showed that Dangote’s diesel had a sulphur content of 87.6ppm, while the other two samples had sulphur levels above 1,800ppm and 2,000ppm respectively,” Mr Dangote announced.
“In terms of quality, when we started, our quality was about six hundred to six hundred and fifty ppm; ppm was one of the best in terms of quality at the time we started.
“But today we’re at 87 ppm. And you can take a sample on Monday. By Monday we’ll be at less than 50 ppm. By the beginning of August we’ll be at 10 ppm.”
However, according to reliable sources familiar with the company’s operations, the tests did not reflect the actual results of the diesel fuel that the Dangote refinery supplies to the market.
“That test is far from the reality on the ground. It was done to mobilize members of the public against the federal government and force the government to reach an agreement with the refinery,” one source said.
● “Sulphur in Dangote diesel up to 1200” — Documents show
Collected test results of AGO (diesel) loaded from Dangote refinery (April – July 2024)
Official documents, including laboratory results of diesel supplied to retailers between April and July, showed that the sulphur content in Dangote diesel reached up to 1200 ppm.
The fuel, delivered in 32 batches, was supplied to various depots of Rain Oil, AA Rano, TMDK Oil, Kashton, NIPCO, Sobaz and other retail companies.
In compliance with NMDPRA regulations, these supplies have been tested by Dangote’s quality assurance team and verified by independent international testing companies, who have also issued certificates of analysis.
Between April and July, the amount of sulfur found in Dangote diesel averaged 937 ppm, with the lowest value of 705 ppm in April and the highest value of 1,200 ppm in a supply to NIPCO on June 16.
In fact, on July 22, two days after the lawmakers’ visit, Dangote Refinery delivered a cargo of diesel containing 950 ppm sulphur to AA Rano depot in Ijegun, Lagos.
The quality certificate, dated July 21, was authorized by the independent laboratory Intertek, in line with the NMDPRA regulation.
Records further showed that the same consignment was first tested by Dangote’s quality control department on July 13 and confirmed to contain 1095 ppm sulphur.
The certificate of analysis was authorised by Nikunj Parikh, a senior chemist at Dangote, and validated by an independent laboratory chemist, Solomon Efe.
At the time of writing, Dangote’s spokesman, Tony Chiejina, was unreachable as calls to his known phone number went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Haruna Bala, a Lagos-based chemist and researcher, described the refinery’s attempts to manipulate public opinion as an “unethical move” that could damage the company’s reputation in the oil market.
He added that such practices are not only fraudulent but also a blatant disregard for climate change, noting that many countries are moving towards low-sulphur diesel.
“High sulphur diesel contributes significantly to air pollution by releasing harmful sulphur dioxide and particulate matter into the atmosphere. It is unfortunate that Dangote diesel is in no way safer than the imported ones we have been complaining about all these years.”
The post How Dangote deceived Nigerian lawmakers on diesel quality – Report appeared first on TheConclaveNg.
