Dangote Refinery Turns to AI to Improve Processing Efficiency

Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery plans to introduce US tech Firm  Honeywell Technologies to help engineers identify production constraints, improve processing performance and make better use of existing equipment. Honeywell estimates that the technology could generate more than $60 million in annual gross operational benefits when the refinery operates at full capacity.

The platform, called Forge Plant Cognition, is launching first at the Lekki refinery as Dangote pursues plans to increase its processing capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day within three years.

Honeywell’s preliminary estimates put the potential operational benefit at more than $0.29 per barrel processed. The figure is a projection, not a confirmed saving. It excludes implementation costs, and the actual benefit will depend on factors including refinery configuration, crude oil quality, utilisation rates, data quality and product margins.

AI Targets Production Constraints

Refinery performance depends on how efficiently interconnected processing units operate. Constraints in one part of a facility can affect throughput, product yields and the value recovered from crude oil.

Forge Plant Cognition is designed to help refinery teams investigate these issues by analysing operating data alongside industrial process knowledge. It aims to identify bottlenecks, flag developing equipment or process problems and recommend actions that could improve production performance.

The platform also incorporates digital-twin technology, which creates a virtual representation of plant facilities and processes for simulation and planning. Physics-based AI models complement the analysis by helping engineers examine industrial processes and evaluate potential operating adjustments.

The system combines NVIDIA’s AI and accelerated-computing capabilities with Dell Technologies’ AI infrastructure. NVIDIA Nemotron models support the interpretation of operating data, while NVIDIA Omniverse libraries help create digital twins. Additional NVIDIA technologies support visual anomaly detection and the development of physics-based models.

These capabilities are intended to help engineers make more informed operational decisions. The benefits will depend on the quality of the available data, the constraints identified and the actions refinery teams take in response.

Capacity Expansion Remains a Separate Target

Dangote plans to increase the refinery’s nominal processing capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028.

In November 2025, the group selected Honeywell to support the expansion with refining technologies, equipment and services. The work is intended to increase throughput and allow the facility to process a wider range of crude oil grades.

The AI platform is a separate part of the companies’ work together. It is intended to help optimise plant performance, while the capacity expansion aims to increase the volume of crude the refinery can process.

Honeywell’s projected annual operational benefit is specific to the Lekki facility and assumes full-capacity throughput. The estimate should not be treated as net profit or as a guaranteed financial return from the expansion.

Developing Nigerian Technical Expertise

The AI initiative also includes a workforce development objective. Dangote wants to make specialised process knowledge more accessible to its engineers and operators, helping them investigate operating problems and build technical expertise.

The group has set a target for Nigerian nationals to make up 70% of its workforce as operations expand. This is a workforce localisation goal, not a confirmed current employment ratio.

By incorporating industrial process knowledge into AI-supported tools, the project aims to help local personnel troubleshoot problems and make operational decisions with greater access to specialised technical guidance.

Dangote’s refinery currently has a stated processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, with the company targeting an increase to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028.