2,930 Metric Tonnes of Machinery Arrive at Lamu Port for Dangote Refinery

Kenya's Port of Lamu has received 2,930 metric tonnes of heavy construction machinery aboard the cargo vessel MV Da Yang Bai He. It is the first specialised shipment for Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote's planned East Africa Oil Refinery.

The project carries an estimated cost of 2.2 trillion Kenyan shillings. Mr Dangote said a further 400 equipment units will arrive within the next 60 days as site preparation picks up pace.

The refinery would give East Africa large-scale refining capacity of its own, cutting the region's dependence on imported petrol, diesel and other refined fuels.

Port operations and cargo delivery

Officials from the Kenya Ports Authority, the state agency that manages the country's seaports, oversaw the offloading.

The machinery will support early groundwork, civil engineering and foundation works at the refinery site.

Port authorities said the discharge showed Lamu can handle continuous heavy equipment shipments, and more deliveries are expected as full-scale construction gets under way. Transport operators will move the machinery from the quayside directly to the construction zones.

Refinery scale and site logistics

The refinery is designed to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day once operational.

Equipment reaches the site through the Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, a regional infrastructure programme linking Kenya's northern coast to its inland neighbours.

The project faces court cases over land ownership and compensation for communities along the corridor. Dangote Group maintains that construction will continue alongside the scheduled equipment deliveries.

Dangote Group expects the project to create over 60,000 jobs during the main construction phase. It also plans to train Kenyan workers to operate specialised machinery and manage technical operations.

The refinery will supply finished petroleum products to Kenya and to export markets across East Africa.