The Zambia Development Agency has awarded an investment license to China Zambia Petrochemical Corp. (CZPC), a special purpose vehicle created by the Industrial Development Corporation and Fujian Xiang Xin Corporation to develop a US $1.1bn crude-oil refinery and integrated energy complex in Ndola.
The license formally moves the project from planning to full-scale execution following the MoU signed in July 2025, with groundbreaking expected in the coming weeks and first-phase operations targeted for 2026. Designed to process 3 million tonnes of crude oil per year roughly 60,000 barrels per day—the refinery will meet Zambia’s entire fuel demand and position the country as a competitive player in regional petroleum markets.
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Economic impact
The project is set to generate significant economic impact, creating more than 2,200 jobs during construction and sustaining over 600 direct and 2,000 indirect jobs once operational, supported by extensive skills-transfer and certified training programmes. As an integrated energy hub, the complex will stimulate downstream industries including LPG bottling, bitumen production, and lubricant blending, while attracting additional investment in storage facilities, rail improvements, and feedstock supply for plastics, fertilizers, synthetic materials, and asphalt manufacturing.
IDC CEO Cornwell Muleya said the license handover marks a decisive transition from commitment to delivery, underscoring the project’s critical role in strengthening energy security and advancing national industrialization. FJXX Chairperson Huang Tieming affirmed the company’s commitment to applying world-class engineering and working closely with the Zambian government to deliver a transformative energy asset for the country and the wider region.
