Angola’s new refinery will start dispensing petroleum products before the second quarter of 2026, its owners have said.
The Cabinda Refinery, inaugurated with fanfare in September 2025, received the first crude oil transfer from Malongo in the same month and commenced the final testing phase.
The project has faced several delays, including financial constraints, since the conceptual plan was laid out in 2029.
Marcelo Hofke, CEO of Gemcorp, which holds a 90% majority stake and is the lead developer of the project, said the timeline of December 2025 for commercial operations could not be met because of strict compliance with safety protocols.
“Performance tests are currently underway, with completion expected by the end of this month (March 2026)”, Holfke said on the sideline of an investment product launch in Luanda March 16, 2026.
The two phase project, designed to produce diesel, jet fuel, naphtha, and HFO, is developed as a public-private partnership with a 90:10 equity split between Gemcorp and Sonangol, the state hydrocarbon company.
As the first phase of 30,000Barrels per Stream Day gets ready to supply the market, engineering works for the second phase are underway until October 2026, followed by the opening of the construction tender.
“The idea is that in the first half of 2027 there will be conditions to start the second phase, to reach 60,000 barrels,” Holfke explained, adding that an investment of $700Million is planned for the second phase of the Cabinda Refinery.
