President John Dramani Mahama has declared that the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is back and ready to play a central role in Ghana’s energy security and industrial development.
He said the rebound of the refinery, which has endured years of operational challenges, mounting debts and declining confidence, demonstrated his government’s commitment to revitalising struggling state-owned enterprises.
Speaking at the inauguration of TOR’s refurbished Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) last Saturday, President Mahama disclosed that the new management had also restored the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit, installed a new F61 crude heater, and returned Boiler Number Eight to service without financial support from the government.
“Our vision for the Tema Oil Refinery extends far beyond the successful refurbishment of these facilities. We do not intend merely to keep TOR operating; we intend to make it more competitive, more efficient and more commercially viable,” he said.
The President added that TOR would be positioned as a strategic driver of Ghana’s industrial future.
To this end, he has directed the Minister of Energy and Green Transitions to collaborate with the board and management of TOR to develop a strategic plan to expand the refinery’s capacity from 40,000 barrels per day to 100,000 barrels per day.
The commissioning of the CDU coincided with the arrival of one million barrels of Ghana’s Jubilee Medium Sweet crude oil — the third such consignment received since May.
President Mahama emphasised the importance of TOR in the downstream petroleum sector, particularly in the context of global geopolitical tensions affecting crude oil supply.
He noted that the refinery’s operations, alongside those of a private refining firm, had helped stabilise the availability and pricing of petroleum products in Ghana despite ongoing international conflicts.
“I must say that because of the role of TOR in refining local crude and ensuring availability of petroleum products, Ghanaians have hardly felt the effects of the war involving Iran,” he stated.
Looking ahead, the President announced plans to restructure TOR to insulate it from political interference that has affected its operations over the years.
He said the move aligned with the government’s broader economic transformation agenda, including the 24-hour economy initiative and the Accelerated Export Development Programme.
According to him, TOR would play a pivotal role in expanding industrial production, supporting manufacturing, creating jobs and enhancing Ghana’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“The revival of Tema Oil Refinery demonstrates that Ghana can rebuild its strategic institutions, add value to its resources and chart a path towards sustainable prosperity,” he said.
The Managing Director of TOR, Mr Edmond Kombat, also announced that the refinery’s unaudited accounts from 2019 to 2025 had now been successfully audited.
He described the refurbishment works and renewed crude supply as part of a broader effort to reset and restore Ghana’s national refinery capacity.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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The post TOR is back, ready to champion energy security appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
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