The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has approved the establishment of a crude oil refinery plant by Zambia Petrochemical Energy Company (ZPEC) Limited, an investment worth US$1.1 billion.
According to a statement issued by ZEMA Manager for Corporate Affairs, Ruth Kanyanga Kamwi, the facility is projected to produce three million metric tonnes of refined petroleum products per annum, marking a significant milestone in Zambia’s pursuit of energy self-sufficiency.
Ms Kamwi says the refinery, to be located adjacent to Indeni Energy Company Limited in the Bwana Mkubwa area of Ndola on the Copperbelt, is expected to transform Zambia’s energy landscape by reducing the country’s heavy reliance on imported refined petroleum products, which has long strained the national economy and exposed consumers to volatile global fuel prices.
She says once operational, the refinery is anticipated to add significant value to the energy supply chain, improve fuel security, and contribute meaningfully to government revenue through taxes and levies.
The approval was granted among 77 projects out of 87 considered by the Environmental Assessments Committee of the Sixth ZEMA Board during its June sitting.
According to ZEMA, the approved projects span key sectors, including 30 mining and mineral processing projects, 15 energy projects, 11 infrastructure development projects, 14 manufacturing and processing projects, and seven agriculture and forestry projects.
Six projects were rejected, while four were deferred.
By Best Jere
