Oscar J Jeke- Zim Now Reporter
Zambia has signed a US$1.1 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China’s Fujian Xiang Xin Corporation to establish a large-scale crude oil refinery and integrated energy complex in the city of Ndola.
The deal marks one of the country’s most significant energy infrastructure investments in decades and is expected to position Zambia as a major player in regional fuel production and export.
The planned refinery will have a daily processing capacity of 60,000 barrels of crude oil—enough to meet Zambia’s domestic fuel demand and enable exports to neighboring countries. Crude oil will be imported from the Middle East through Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port, with construction scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025.
“Crude oil will be imported from the Middle East through Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port. Construction is scheduled to start in Q3 2025,” the Zambian government stated.
Beyond refining, the energy complex will include a 130-megawatt power plant, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottling facilities, bitumen production, and lubricant blending—creating an end-to-end petroleum value chain.
Zambian authorities say the project will create thousands of jobs during construction and operation while reducing the country’s dependence on imported refined fuel.
This development comes as Zambia also signed a separate MoU with Zimbabwe to develop and implement a new oil products and natural gas pipeline connecting the two countries. The cross-border infrastructure is designed to transport refined fuel from Zimbabwe’s existing petroleum distribution hubs to Zambia, providing an alternative and more efficient supply route.
Zimbabwe currently relies on the Beira-Harare pipeline (also known as the Beira-Feruka pipeline) to move fuel from Mozambique’s Port of Beira to inland depots in Harare, Mutare, Bulawayo, and Beitbridge.
This pipeline is being upgraded to expand its capacity from 2.19 billion liters to 3 billion liters, with a long-term target of 5 billion liters.
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