• The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has issued an Investor License to China Zambia Petrochemical Energy Co. Ltd for a USD 510.49 million oil refinery project.
• The refinery will be implemented through an SPV between IDC Zambia and China’s Xiang Xin Holding Co. Ltd.
• The project, located in the Sub-Saharan Gemstone Exchange Industrial Park, is expected to create 454 jobs at this initial stage.

The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has granted an investor license to China Zambia Petrochemical Energy Co. Ltd (CZPC) for the development of a major crude oil refinery and integrated energy complex in Ndola, marking a critical step toward ending the country’s near-total reliance on imported refined petroleum products.

In an official announcement on November 19, 2025, the ZDA revealed that the initial licensed phase of the project is valued at US$510.49 million, with the full integrated complex projected to reach a total investment of US$1.1 billion. The license unlocks significant fiscal incentives, including duty exemptions on capital equipment imports, paving the way for immediate construction in the Sub Sahara Gemstone Exchange Industrial Park.

The project is being implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – China Zambia Petrochemical Corporation (CZPC) – formed between Zambia’s state-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and China’s Fujian Xiang Xin Holding Corporation following a Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2025.

Once fully operational, the refinery will process approximately 3 million tonnes of crude oil per year (around 60,000 barrels per day), sufficient to cover Zambia’s entire domestic demand and enable exports to neighbouring countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. The complex will include LPG bottling, bitumen production, lubricants blending, and a 130 MW power plant (with 100 MW feeding the national grid).

ZDA Director General Albert Halwampa welcomed the development: “This investment reflects growing confidence in Zambia’s economic reforms and our commitment to facilitating high-impact projects that drive industrialisation and job creation.” The licensed phase alone is expected to create 454 permanent jobs upon completion, while the broader project is projected to generate up to 2,500 temporary jobs during construction and over 600 direct permanent positions plus thousands of indirect roles in the supply chain.

By Cynthia Ebot Takang