Zambia has launched construction of a US$1.1 billion crude oil refinery in Ndola. According to the government, the project will strengthen fuel security, support industry, and deepen value addition in the energy sector.
Fujian Xiang Xin Corporation is developing the project through the Zambia Petrochemical Energy Company (ZPEC). At the ground-breaking ceremony, Energy Minister Makozo Chikote said the investment reflected growing private-sector confidence in Zambia’s business environment. Furthermore, he said it aligned with the policy direction of the current administration.
Chikote also described the refinery as a major industrial project with the potential to reshape Zambia’s fuel and petrochemical landscape.
Once completed, the facility will process three million metric tonnes of crude oil a year, equivalent to approximately 60,000 barrels per day. As a result, Zambia will have a stronger domestic fuel supply base. This matters greatly, as energy reliability remains critical for mining, transport, and manufacturing.
Beyond fuel production, the refinery will deliver a broader industrial platform. In addition to crude processing, the development will include LPG bottling, bitumen production, and lubricant blending. Together, these additions widen the value chain and strengthen the project’s importance for the downstream industry.
Officials say the construction phase will create more than 2,200 jobs. Once operational, the refinery will sustain over 600 direct jobs and more than 2,000 indirect positions.
Chikote said the project should create employment and build local technical capacity. He urged developers to prioritise skills transfer and training for Zambians. Equally, he called on them to use local labour wherever possible.
He called on communities in Ndola and across the Copperbelt to support the development. The refinery, he said, could make a meaningful contribution to economic growth in the province and the country.
Senior officials at the launch included Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga, Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo, and Ministry of Energy Permanent Secretary Professor Ephraim Munshifwa.
For Zambia, the Ndola refinery is more than a large capital project. Rather, it is part of a wider push to use energy infrastructure to drive industrial expansion. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce supply vulnerability and keep more value within the domestic economy.
