• PHC targets in-house refining to move up the value chain
• Project depends on output growth that has slowed in recent years
• Expansion comes as Congo faces a structural palm oil supply gap

Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), which Kuramo Capital Management has controlled at about 76.2% since 2020, plans to build its own palm oil refinery. In an interview with Forbes Africa published in April 2026, CEO Monique Gieskes said the facility should become operational within two years, pointing to a 2028 timeline.

The project reflects a broader strategy to integrate the company’s value chain. Until now, PHC has focused on producing crude palm oil and palm kernel oil, sold mainly to refiners in Kinshasa and Kongo Central. The company now intends to refine part of its output internally while continuing to supply existing clients with crude oil. This move would allow PHC to capture a larger share of value in the domestic market. The future refinery’s capacity has not yet been disclosed.

This shift requires higher production, but recent figures point to limited growth. Output reached 80,000 tons in 2023 and stood at 81,000 tons in 2025. PHC nonetheless maintains its target of reaching 100,000 tons by 2026.

The company operates three industrial sites in Boteka (Équateur), Yaligimba (Mongala), and Lokutu (Tshopo). Its concessions cover about 106,000 hectares, including 30,000 hectares planted with oil palm. Management sees the remaining land as a reserve for future expansion.

PHC also highlights research conducted through its CREATY center in Yaligimba. Gieskes referred to experimental seeds described as “albino” or low in beta-carotene, which could produce lighter-colored oil at extraction. The company presents this as a promising avenue, although no independent scientific validation has been made public at this stage.

These plans come in a market marked by a structural supply gap. According to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, national palm oil production stands at about 300,000 tons per year, while demand exceeds 500,000 tons.

Timothée Manoke (Bankable)