President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) will begin refining locally produced crude oil from June 2026 as part of the government’s broader plan to revive the country’s struggling downstream petroleum sector.
Speaking during an engagement with members of the Ghanaian community in London on Sunday, May 31, President Mahama said the government had concluded arrangements to restart operations at the refinery after years of intermittent shutdowns and financial difficulties.
According to him, the move forms part of efforts to reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products, improve energy security and strengthen the local economy.
“From June this year, Tema Oil Refinery will begin refining Ghanaian crude oil,” President Mahama stated.
The President explained that the government intends to leverage Ghana’s own crude oil resources to support domestic fuel production and revive TOR’s operations, which have remained largely dormant in recent years due to debt challenges, obsolete infrastructure and operational setbacks.
He indicated that discussions had already taken place with stakeholders in the petroleum industry to ensure a sustainable supply arrangement for the refinery.
“We cannot continue exporting crude and importing finished products at high cost while our refinery remains underutilised,” he said.
President Mahama said reviving TOR would help create jobs, stimulate industrial activity, and reduce pressure on foreign exchange used for fuel imports.
He further assured that the government would pursue strategic investments and technical partnerships to modernise the refinery and improve operational efficiency.
