CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has highlighted the economic benefits of locally refining crude oil.
He makes the point that refining the crude oil locally will ease the pressure on the Cedi further and also impact the pricing regime greatly.
The private legal practitioner said, “Based on what we have been doing with TOR, you have Sentuo doing extremely well now, almost giving us 20 per cent of the market over the past period. I strongly believe that if TOR is able to ramp up production to almost 45,000 barrels per day, TOR and Sentuo alone should be doing about 40 per cent of the market, and that will be significant, that will greatly project the country well.
“One of the benefits, I strongly believe, is that once they get into that,t it will impact on pricing dynamics greatly because then you will be doing less expert. Now the bigger advantage is that even if you are doing it here, the kind of forex you need to bring imported products, that pressure on the Ghana Cedi will also greatly reduce. So the economics of it are greatly impactful. Once we are able to do a few of these things locally, it projects the economy better, the pressure on the Cedi will reduce.”
Earlier, the Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery, Edmond Kombat, announced that his outfit had resumed operation after years of inactivity.
This was contained in a press release posted on his Facebook page on December 27. “The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Ltd. is pleased to announce the successful resumption of crude oil refining operations after several years of inactivity, marking a historic milestone in the revitalization of Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector,” a part of the press release read.
He explained that, “This achievement follows the successful completion of major Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) works on the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), executed within three months from 1st August, 2025 to 30th October 2025. The maintenance works were undertaken in strict compliance with international engineering, safety, and operational standards.”
“Following the completion of the TAM, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) conducted comprehensive regulatory inspections and confirmed TOR’s full compliance with all mandatory safety and operational requirements. Consequently, the NPA granted clearance for the resumption of refining activities.
The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Ltd. is pleased to announce the successful resumption of crude oil refining operations after several years of inactivity, marking a historic milestone in the revitalisation of Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.
This achievement follows the successful completion of major Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) works on the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), executed within three months from 1st August 2025 to 30th October 2025. The maintenance works were undertaken in strict compliance with international engineering, safety, and operational standards.
Following the completion of the TAM, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) conducted comprehensive regulatory inspections and confirmed TOR’s full compliance with all mandatory safety and operational requirements. Consequently, the NPA granted clearance for the resumption of refining activities.
As part of a phased transition toward full operational capacity, and in advance of the refinery’s official recommissioning, TOR will continue operating over the coming months to stabilise systems, optimise performance, and ensure sustained operational reliability.
In addition, TOR has completed the installation of a new furnace, F-61, which will soon be commissioned and integrated into the CDU. This critical upgrade will enable the refinery to restore its original nameplate capacity of 45,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd), up from the current operating level of 28,000 bpsd, with a clear strategic pathway to expand the capacity to 60,000 bpsd in the medium term, following the installation of a new Air-Cooler.
The Government of Ghana will formally commission and tie-in the F-61 furnace at a later date. Details regarding the commissioning event, including timing and arrangements, will be duly communicated to stakeholders and the general public in due course.
TOR expresses its deep appreciation to His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama for his continued support, vision, leadership, and steadfast dedication and commitment to the restoration of TOR as a critical pillar of Ghana’s energy infrastructure.
The refinery also extends profound appreciation to the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor (MP), whose dedication, technical oversight, and policy leadership have been instrumental in restoring TOR to operational life. His consistent support and hands-on engagement have ensured the effective alignment of technical execution with national energy priorities.
TOR further commends its board, management, and entire workforce for their enthusiasm, resilience, professionalism, and unwavering sense of purpose throughout this revival journey. The staff of TOR remains committed to sustaining the refinery’s renewed operational momentum and achieving excellence across all aspects of refinery performance.
The Board and Management of TOR Ltd. extend sincere gratitude to the Government of Ghana, stakeholders, and the Ghanaian public for their continued confidence and support. TOR remains firmly committed to operating safely, efficiently, and sustainably as it reclaims its role as a cornerstone of Ghana’s energy infrastructure.
