Dangote refinery targets US$60mn AI gain

As more African businesses embrace artificial intelligence(AI), the technology is moving beyond experimentation to deliver measurable operational and commercial gains.

In energy and manufacturing, AI-powered optimisation is now emerging as a tool to improve efficiency, maximise existing assets and strengthen local technical capabilities, with the potential to yield material gains.

Honeywell Technologies has announced the launch of an industrial AI platform at Nigeria’s Dangote refinery — with preliminary estimates suggesting it could generate more than US$60mn in annual gross operational benefits at full capacity.

The Forge Plant Cognition platform — developed using NVIDIA AI and accelerated computing capabilities alongside Dell Technologies’ AI infrastructure — is designed to improve throughput, reliability and operational efficiency across refining, petrochemical and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities.

The initial deployment at Dangote’s Lekki refinery will combine operational data with Honeywell’s process expertise and AI-powered optimisation tools to identify production bottlenecks, anticipate equipment and process problems and support faster decision-making.

According to Honeywell’s preliminary estimates, the technology could deliver operational benefits exceeding 29 US cents per barrel at the Lekki facility, a vital installation underpinning Nigeria’s energy sector.

At full-capacity throughput, this could amount to more than US$60mn annually in gross benefits, it says.

“By collaborating with Dangote to launch Forge Plant Cognition, we are demonstrating how AI can help transform industrial operations, driving new levels of productivity, reliability and profitability at significant scale,” said Rajesh Gattupalli, president of Honeywell Technologies UOP.

Unlike conventional AI tools focused primarily on analysing data and generating recommendations, Forge Plant Cognition combines real-time operating data, engineering knowledge and physics-based models to help operators translate insights into practical improvements.

The platform will also support workforce development by embedding specialist process knowledge into AI-powered workflows, helping Nigerian engineers and operators build technical capabilities and resolve operational issues more efficiently.

David Bird, CEO and managing director of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, said the investment would help the company optimise performance and develop local talent.

“This investment reinforces our commitment to operational excellence, advancing technology and developing Nigerian talent to operate at world-class standards,” he said.

The initiative builds on nearly a decade of collaboration between the two companies.Honeywell is also supporting Dangote’s plans to increase refinery capacity from 650,000 to 1.4 million barrels per day within three years, through asset optimisation and faster market delivery.