European fuel traders and importers are currently avoiding diesel shipments from Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery after tests revealed the product contains sulphur levels and other specifications that fail to meet Europe’s strict winter fuel standards.
This was disclosed to Argus Media on Wednesday by market sources who said Dangote refinery “can’t supply winter diesel, at present, to the colder regions [of Europe].”
Despite the tight fuel market in Europe, buyers are avoiding diesel from the Dangote refinery because of elevated sulfur and cetane numbers.
They said the current lack of exports from Nigeria to Europe is due to diesel not meeting European standards for winter fuels and not being suitable for blending to produce other fuels.
A Nigerian source familiar with the matter also told Argus that the issue is not arbitrage economics, but about off-specification content in the fuels.
A European distillates trader who also commented on a sample from mid-November revealed that the diesel from Dangote has compounds far exceeding the German winter specifications.
The product recorded a cloud point of +8°C, significantly above Germany’s winter requirement of -7°C.
The same sample reportedly showed sulphur content of 36ppm, much higher than the 10ppm European standard, although the specific gravity of 0.8395 was within Dangote’s stated export range. The cetane number, at 57.5, was above Europe’s minimum requirement of 51.
Dangote’s response to off-spec diesel
Despite the claims made by European fuel traders, the management of the Dangote refinery has denied producing “off-spec” diesel, insisting that it does not manufacture winter-grade products.
“Diesel supplied to Europe has seasonal specifications—winter, summer, spring, and autumn. We do not produce winter diesel; it is not part of our portfolio,” said Anthony Chiejina, Spokesperson at the Dangote Group.
The company stressed that its products are targeted at markets where specifications align with its production slate, including Nigeria and other African countries.
In September, Dangote was mired in controversy stemming from an exclusive report by a local newspaper, which alleged that the Lekki-based facility had imported low-quality petrol from the UK’s Phillips 66 Refinery.
The fuel reportedly measuring 49.6 million litres was said to contain 690ppm of sulphur, far above Nigeria’s approved limit of 50ppm for domestic consumption.
Dangote had also denied the claims, stressing that the imported material was not finished petrol but feedstock intended for further processing to meet stringent quality standards.
“The cargo in question is an intermediate feedstock, not finished petrol, and will be fully refined in our units to meet Nigerian and international quality standards,” the company said at the time.
Troubles still facing Dangote refinery
Since coming onstream, the 650,000 bpd Dangote refinery in Nigeria—Africa’s biggest and newest—has faced operational setbacks ranging from unplanned outages, a strike, and suspected sabotage attempts that have limited its full operation.
The mega plant began exporting diesel earlier this year. However, concerns centre on higher-than-permitted sulphur levels, unsuitable cloud points and cetane numbers.
These make the diesel unfit for blending into compliant European fuels.
Despite Europe’s reliance on imports to cover shortfalls in domestic output—especially after the July sanctions on Russian-origin fuels—buyers are steering clear of Nigerian cargoes.
As a result, exports from Dangote to Europe have slowed sharply, even though demand for compliant diesel remains high.
Notwithstanding, the setback highlights the technical and regulatory challenges facing Dangote Refinery as it seeks to penetrate the European market.
While the refinery remains a game-changer for Nigeria’s domestic fuel supply, its exports to Europe will require further adjustments to meet EU standards, particularly during the winter season.
Perhaps the question once asked by some analysts when the Nigerian plant—which plans to more than double its refining capacity over the next three years—made its inaugural fuel export to Europe earlier this year has resurfaced.
And that is whether the Dangote Refinery can truly compete in Europe’s premium fuel market, where strict sulphur limits and cold-weather performance standards leave no room for compromise.
What is clear, however, is that Europe’s refusal to import Nigerian diesel could further tighten the region’s supply balance.
Since late 2023 refining margins in North America and Asia have been at their highest, with those in Europe even higher as the market prepares for a significant disruption.
By early 2026, the EU will ban imports of refined petroleum products made from Russian crude oil wherever they might come from, in accordance with the July sanctions package against Moscow.
