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Aliko Dangote has selected Honeywell Technologies to provide engineering services, licensing and equipment for a planned 700,000-barrels-per-day (bpd) refinery in Kenya.
Honeywell, the US-based company, announced the agreement on Wednesday.
Dangote and Kenya’s President William Ruto recently broke ground for the $16 billion refinery in Lamu County, as conservationists and affected landowners challenge the project in court.
The refinery is expected to supply diesel, petrol and jet fuel to Kenya, with products also exported to other countries across East Africa.
The partnership builds on the companies’ work at Dangote’s Nigerian refinery, where Honeywell is helping with upgrades aimed at doubling the plant’s capacity to 1.4 million bpd.
Honeywell brings refinery expansion expertise
Honeywell’s role covers engineering services, licensing and equipment for the proposed Kenyan refinery, with the company drawing on its previous work with Dangote in Nigeria.
Honeywell Technologies President Rajesh Gattupalli said the companies’ existing relationship could help accelerate the Kenyan project.
- “Through our long-standing relationship with Dangote, we have developed proven large-train engineering designs that can be applied to the Kenya refinery to significantly reduce time-to-market,” Gattupalli said in a statement.
The partnership follows a major agreement signed by Dangote Industries and Honeywell in November 2025 to provide refinery services and technology for the expansion of the Lagos refinery to 1.4 million bpd by 2028.
Lamu refinery faces legal challenge
The $16 billion refinery is being developed in Kenya’s Lamu County, where its construction has attracted opposition from conservationists and affected landowners.
Dangote Group said a Kenyan court ruling over a land rights dispute would not halt the groundbreaking ceremony for the project, although some activities at the site could be affected.
The legal challenge comes as Dangote advances plans to establish another large-scale refining operation outside Nigeria, with the Kenyan facility expected to serve both the domestic and regional fuel markets.
The refinery is planned to produce diesel, petrol and jet fuel for Kenya and other countries across East Africa.
Dangote expands regional refining footprint
The Kenya project comes as Dangote continues to expand its refining interests and strengthen the profile of its Nigerian refinery.
- The Lagos refinery, with a capacity of 700,000 bpd, is the model for the proposed Lamu facility. Dangote’s planned investment in Kenya would extend the group’s refining ambitions beyond Nigeria and create another large-scale petroleum-processing operation on the continent.
- In September, Dangote launched an initial public offering for the Lagos refinery in what Reuters described as Africa’s biggest-ever share sale.
The Nigerian refinery is also undergoing upgrades supported by Honeywell, with the planned expansion expected to increase its capacity from its current level to 1.4 million bpd by 2028.
Together, the projects reflect Dangote’s wider push to build large-scale refining capacity serving both domestic and regional fuel markets.
