The Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Edmond Kombat, has highlighted the importance of technical sovereignty in securing Africa’s energy future, citing the refinery’s ongoing turnaround as evidence that critical infrastructure can be restored and sustainably operated with the right technical capacity.
Mr Kombat delivered the keynote address at the Engineering in Africa Conference 2026, where he shared the story of TOR’s revival, focusing on the refinery’s journey from about five years of being offline to a phased restart and a roadmap towards returning to full operational capacity.
Speaking on the theme of technical sovereignty, he said Africa’s energy future depended on the continent developing the expertise and institutional capacity required to operate, maintain and expand its critical energy infrastructure.
According to Mr Kombat, the revival of TOR demonstrates that it is possible to restore strategic infrastructure and build a sustainable path towards full operations.
He said the refinery’s turnaround journey represented more than the restoration of an industrial facility, but also highlighted the importance of building local technical capabilities to support Africa’s long-term energy security.
Mr Kombat used the platform to share Ghana’s refining experience and the progress made in efforts to restore operations at TOR.
He expressed appreciation to the organisers for providing an opportunity to present Ghana’s refining story and discuss the broader implications of technical sovereignty for Africa’s energy sector.
The TOR turnaround is expected to strengthen Ghana’s domestic refining capacity and contribute to the country’s broader efforts to improve energy security and develop local technical expertise.
