South Sudan to boost fuel sufficiency as major refinery nears completion

South Sudan’s efforts to be fuel sufficient is about to pay off as work on its Bentiu refinery located in the northern oil-rich Unity state nears completion.

This is set to be achieved under its vision dubbed “strategic 5-year master plan” being implemented by state-owned oil corporation, Nile Petroleum Corporation (Nilepet) that involves building five refineries in the oil fields, besides the ongoing renovation of the Bentiu refinery.

James Loteka Yugusuk, director-general, Downstream Directorate in Nilepet said on Friday that South Sudan will reduce fuel imports upon completion of the Bentiu refinery which was damaged during more than six years of conflict that broke out in December 2013.

South Sudan currently relies 80 percent on oil revenue to finance its annual fiscal expenditure, said Yugusuk, adding that when these refineries start full operation, the country will diversify its exports and bring in hard currency earned from selling its refined products.

South Sudan aims to export its refined products to neighboring Ethiopia which annually imports close to 2 billion liters of refined products. Enditem