The refinery is introducing Honeywell’s Forge Plant Cognition platform, powered by NVIDIA AI capabilities and Dell infrastructure, to improve efficiency, identify production bottlenecks and support faster operational decisions.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is deploying an industrial artificial intelligence platform that could generate more than $60 million in annual gross operational benefits when the facility operates at full capacity.

Announced by Honeywell Technologies on October 26, 2026, the platform, called Forge Plant Cognition, combines Honeywell’s industrial expertise with AI and accelerated computing capabilities from NVIDIA and AI infrastructure from Dell Technologies.

The deployment at Dangote’s refinery in Lekki, Lagos, is designed to help engineers improve plant performance, identify operational constraints and make better-informed decisions using real-time operating data.

According to Honeywell, preliminary estimates suggest the technology could deliver operational benefits exceeding $0.29 per barrel processed. At full-capacity throughput, this could translate into more than $60 million annually in gross benefits. The estimate is not guaranteed and excludes implementation costs. Actual results will depend on operating conditions and the improvements achieved.

How the AI Platform Could Improve Refinery Operations

Forge Plant Cognition combines operating data, industrial process knowledge, engineering calculations and physics-based models to help refinery teams understand complex production challenges.

The system is designed to help engineers:

  • Identify production bottlenecks: Detect constraints that limit throughput or affect product yields.

  • Improve equipment reliability: Identify potential problems and support troubleshooting before issues escalate.

  • Optimize plant performance: Assess operating adjustments that could improve efficiency and profitability.

  • Accelerate decision-making: Give engineers access to relevant technical insights to help resolve operational challenges.

These capabilities could help the refinery improve the performance of its existing assets while reducing production losses and unplanned downtime.

NVIDIA and Dell Technologies Support the Deployment

The platform brings together technologies from three companies. Honeywell contributes industrial automation and process engineering expertise, NVIDIA provides AI and accelerated computing capabilities, and Dell Technologies supplies AI infrastructure.

The combination is intended to apply AI to the complex physical processes involved in petroleum refining, rather than limiting its use to administrative tasks or conventional data analysis.

The project also reflects a broader industrial technology trend: using AI to improve the efficiency, reliability and productivity of large-scale facilities.

Supporting Nigerian Engineering Talent

Beyond operational improvements, Dangote says the deployment will support the development of its local engineering and operations teams.

By embedding specialized process knowledge into AI-powered tools, the platform is intended to help Nigerian engineers and operators troubleshoot complex issues, access technical guidance and build their capabilities.

This aligns with the refinery's stated ambition to develop a workforce with a strong Nigerian representation as its operations expand.

What the $60 Million Projection Means

The projected annual benefit is an estimate, not a confirmed saving or additional profit. Honeywell based its calculation on preliminary data and a scenario in which the refinery operates at full capacity.

The figure also represents gross operational benefits before implementation costs, meaning it should not be interpreted as net profit.

The actual financial impact will depend on the refinery's utilization, operating conditions, the effectiveness of the platform and the costs associated with deploying the technology.

Nevertheless, the initiative illustrates how AI could create measurable economic value in Nigeria's energy industry by helping major industrial facilities improve efficiency and make better use of existing infrastructure.