Europe turns to Dangote for jet fuel amid global supply crunch

FRESH shipment figures released by S&P Global Energy have revealed that Dangote Refinery is significantly widening its jet fuel export reach across Europe, with supplies now moving to the United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, and Morocco.

The export data, unveiled during an industry briefing held in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, showed increasing volumes of jet fuel, gasoline, gasoil, and naphtha shipments from the Lagos-based refinery between 2024 and 2026, further strengthening the refinery’s position within global fuel supply networks.

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The data shows that Europe is therefore turning to the $20 billion refinery in Lagos to plug supply.gaps.

Analysts in the energy market say the growing appetite for Nigerian jet fuel in Europe is being driven by tightening global aviation fuel supplies linked to geopolitical instability in the Middle East, disruptions along major oil shipping routes, and refinery shutdowns affecting several global markets.

Dangote Refinery’s aviation fuel exports have risen sharply over the last year, with Europe becoming one of the refinery’s biggest export markets.

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Market intelligence data showed that the United Kingdom has ramped up imports from the refinery as airlines and fuel marketers seek alternative supply channels ahead of the busy summer travel season.

Although about 20 percent of Dangote Refinery’s jet fuel exports currently head to the UK, countries including France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands are increasingly sourcing supplies from the refinery as part of wider efforts to reduce dependence on energy supplies from conflict-prone regions.