Dangote Says Honeywell UOP Will Earn Commission on Every Barrel at $16bn Lamu Refinery
By Aboki Forex —
Aliko Dangote has revealed that Honeywell UOP will earn a commission on every barrel processed at his planned Lamu refinery in Kenya. He named Honeywell UOP President Rajesh Gattupalli as the executive behind the technology for the $16 billion project.
The $16 billion, KSh 2 trillion, East African oil refinery is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil daily. It is expected to be completed within 40 months. Dangote spoke on Wednesday, September 30, during the groundbreaking ceremony in Lamu. President William Ruto and other African leaders attended.
Dangote names UOP executive
During his address, Dangote recognised Rajesh Gattupalli, the president of Honeywell UOP, who was present at the Lamu ceremony. "The company that sold the technology of building this refinery is UOP, and I'm sure the MD is here. Dr Rajesh, can you stand so that you can be recognised?" Dangote said.
He then explained the commercial arrangement behind the technology. "We bought the technology from him. So for every barrel we process, he collects a commission. I'm serious," Dangote said.
What Honeywell UOP does
Honeywell UOP provides process technology, licensing, equipment and related services to the refining, petrochemical and gas-processing industries. It is a major technology and process-licensing company serving the global refining and petrochemical industries. Its work includes technologies used to convert crude oil and natural gas into fuels and other products. Its portfolio covers areas such as refining, gas processing, hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel and other energy technologies.
The company has worked with Dangote before. In April 2017, UOP announced that it had secured a contract from Dangote Oil Refinery Company for critical equipment, technology licensing and design services for the Dangote refinery in Lekki, Nigeria. The agreement included technologies such as RFCC, Unicracking, CCR Platforming, Penex and Butamer. Honeywell has continued to work with Dangote on the Nigerian refinery. In 2025, the company said it had been providing process technology to the facility for nearly a decade.
Dangote refinery workforce plan
Dangote Refinery also plans to double its workforce. Edwin Devakumar, Vice President of Oil & Gas and Fertiliser at Dangote Industries Limited, disclosed this to journalists during a visit to the refinery in Lagos on Friday, September 18, 2026. The planned workforce expansion is tied to Dangote Refinery’s broader ambition to increase its processing capacity from the current 700,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2029.