By John Chola

What was once a proposal has now become reality.

The US$1.1 billion Zambia Petrochemical Energy Company Limited (ZPEC) petroleum refinery and integrated energy complex has officially broken ground in Ndola, marking the transition from planning to full-scale construction.

Energy Minister Makozo Chikote turned the first sod on Friday April 10, launching a project that will process 3 million tonnes of crude oil annually – roughly 60,000 barrels per day – enough to meet Zambia’s entire domestic fuel demand while creating a surplus for regional export.

The groundbreaking follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 21 July 2025 and an investment licence from the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) in November 2025.

The joint venture between the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and China’s Fujian Xiang Xin Corporation (FJXX) is now moving at pace, with the first phase scheduled for completion within 18 months.

Thousands of jobs, industrial ripple effects

At peak construction, the project will generate over 2,200 jobs.

Once operational, it will sustain more than 600 direct and 2,000 indirect positions – over 3,000 total employment opportunities.

But the complex is more than a refinery. It will include LPG bottling, bitumen production, and lubricant blending facilities, sparking growth in storage infrastructure, rail development, and supply chains for plastics, fertilizers, synthetic products, and asphalt.

Small and medium enterprises are expected to benefit from logistics, maintenance, catering, and specialised service contracts.

‘A transformative milestone’

Speaking at the ceremony, Chikote said: “Today’s occasion goes beyond the turning of soil. It marks a transformative milestone and demonstrates the private sector response to the environment created by the New Dawn administration.”

Commerce Minister Chipoka Mulenga added: “This refinery is about the future – where Zambia moves from being a consumer of imported products to a producer, processor, and competitive player in regional and global markets.”

IDC CEO Mr. Cornwell Muleya emphasised: “This is not just about building a refinery. It is about securing Zambia’s energy future, reducing dependency on imports, and creating a platform for industrialisation.”

Mr. Huang Tieming, Chairperson of FJXX and ZPEC, noted: “As a key land-linked country in Southern Africa, Zambia’s industrial, transport, and agriculture sectors continue to expand. Once completed, this refinery will fundamentally change Zambia’s long-standing reliance on imported fuels.”

Mr. Wang Shen, representative of the Chinese Embassy in Zambia, said the project reflects enduring Zambia-China ties and “will help further strengthen the backbone of Zambia’s industrialisation and modernisation.”

With shovels in the ground, the ZPEC refinery is no longer a plan on paper – it is a construction site reshaping Zambia’s energy landscape.