Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, has postponed planned maintenance on its primary crude distillation unit (CDU) from December to the end of January next year, according to two industry sources familiar with the schedule.

The CDU turnaround is now set to begin on January 30 and will last approximately seven days, one source confirmed, referencing a client update from IIR Energy.

At the same time, routine maintenance on the refinery’s fluid catalytic cracker (FCC), which produces gasoline, has been rescheduled earlier and will start on December 15.

The adjustments reflect operational planning to optimize throughput and product supply during the final weeks of the year. The 650,000 bpd facility, located near Lagos, continues to ramp up processing of both domestic and imported crude while gradually increasing output of refined petroleum products for the Nigerian and regional markets.

These scheduled maintenance activities are part of standard procedures to ensure long-term reliability and efficiency of the complex, which remains on track with its phased commissioning and performance testing across multiple units.