Zambia Breaks Ground on $1.1 Billion Oil Refinery in Ndola

Zambia has broken ground on a $1.1 billion oil refinery in Ndola, the Copperbelt's main industrial city, with construction scheduled for completion before the end of 2028.

The facility is being developed by Zambia Petrochemical Energy Company (ZPEC), a joint venture between Chinese group Fujian Xiang Xin Corporation and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the Zambian state agency responsible for industrial development. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 10 April.

Energy Minister Makozo Chikote confirmed at the ceremony that the refinery will have a processing capacity of three million tonnes per year, equivalent to approximately 60,000 barrels per day, which the government says would be sufficient to meet the country's entire domestic fuel demand. Zambia currently imports all of its refined petroleum products. In 2024, it spent $2.11 billion on such imports, sourced primarily from Singapore, Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates, according to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

Beyond fuel production, the complex will incorporate liquefied petroleum gas bottling, bitumen production and lubricant blending, capabilities intended to serve the region's mining and industrial sectors.

The construction phase is projected to generate more than 2,200 jobs, with developers estimating that the operational refinery will support over 600 direct roles and more than 2,000 indirect positions. Minister Chikote called on project partners to prioritise skills transfer and the training of Zambian nationals in petrochemical operations.

Situated close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ndola site is considered well-positioned for potential exports to neighbouring markets. The Zambian government has indicated that supplying regional customers could form part of the refinery's longer-term commercial strategy, though no firm export agreements have been announced.