Zambia has launched construction of a USD1.1bn oil refinery in Ndola, a major industrial and mining hub in Copperbelt province, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (Ecofin Agency, 14/04/2026).
The project will be developed by the Zambia Petrochemical Energy Company (ZPEC), a joint venture between China’s Fujian Xiang Xin Corporation and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).
The Zambian energy ministry stated that the refinery will have a processing capacity of 3 Mt/year, equivalent to approximately 60 kb/d, and is expected to support sectors such as mining and other fuel-intensive industries. The minister added that the integrated energy complex will include liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottling, bitumen production, and lubricant blending to support value addition and industrial development.
The facility could also export part of its output to neighbouring countries in the long term, according to the government. The oil is expected to be sourced from the Middle East and Angola (Bloomberg, 13/04/2026).
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
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