Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire fuel price adjustments linked to cost of quality inputs, expert says

Transforming crude oil into fuel necessitates imported inputs, whose prices are set on international markets. Higher quality fuel requires more expensive inputs. Senegal, now a producer of a particular crude, has modernized its refinery, Société Africaine de Raffinage SAR, to process this local crude while maintaining its commitment to producing only premium fuel compliant with AFRI-5 and AFRI-6 standards.

This strategy mirrors Côte d'Ivoire's approach, which uses advanced hydrocracker DHC and hydroskimming HSK units with zeolite-based catalysts. Dioman also attributes the current adjustments to external factors, such as ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman, critical global oil and gas transit zones, which have increased the cost of both crude oil and input cargoes. Across the continent, some countries anticipated and negotiated consensual prices with professional organizations, others initially dismissed price hikes before implementing them, and some opted for cheaper inputs to produce ordinary quality fuel.

The expert warns that while ordinary fuel is less expensive, it leads to premature engine wear and increased consumption due to suboptimal combustion, with environmental and health consequences. Regarding price disparities in sub-Saharan Afr