Combined refinery throughputs reached about 550,000 b/d as utilization climbed above 80% after 14 major turnarounds, supporting Cairo’s goal of petroleum product self-sufficiency by 2030.
Refinery runs rose 7% in 2025-26 to a three-year high of roughly 550,000 barrels per day.
Upgrades nearing completion are expected to increase production of higher-value transport fuels, notably diesel.
# What changed Egypt increased refinery runs by 7% in 2025-26, lifting combined throughputs at its eight refineries to about 550,000 barrels per day. Cairo is pursuing a policy of producing more petroleum products domestically with an explicit aim of reaching self-sufficiency by 2030.
# How the recovery happened
Those turnarounds addressed reliability and processing constraints, allowing refineries to operate at higher capacity and produce more transport fuels that Egypt currently imports.
# What it means for fuel supplies and imports Higher runs increased refined product output, with diesel singled out as a notable gain. Trade data indicate that net product imports eased in 2026 as domestic supply strengthened and refinery runs remained high in recent months.
For Cairo, the combination of completed upgrades and sustained utilization reduces near-term pressure on foreign exchange reserves and the government budget tied to costly fuel imports.
# Upgrades and product mix Long-awaited upgrades are nearing completion and are designed to deliver more high-value transport fuels rather than lower-value intermediates. That shift affects domestic availability of road fuels and could change the structure of Egypt's product imports over time.
# Operational and policy context Corporation (EGPC) reported that the 14 major turnarounds were central to the utilization rise. The government's stated 2030 self-sufficiency target frames investment choices, maintenance scheduling, and decisions on whether to bring additional upgrade capacity online.
# Near-term risks and signals Sustaining utilization above 80% depends on ongoing maintenance, feedstock availability, and stable operations across the refinery network. Trade data suggesting continued high runs in recent months is a positive signal, but the full benefits depend on the successful commissioning of the remaining upgrade elements and on consistent crude supply.
# What to watch next
# Bottom line
Egypt’s trade deficit widened by 58.5 percent in June compared with the previous year, reaching USD 7.5 billion (EGP 382.3 billion) as imports outpaced export growth, according to figures released Monday by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). In June of 2025, the gap amounted to USD 4.7
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