President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is operational again, marking a significant milestone in Ghana’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
Speaking to the Ghanaian community in Lusaka, Zambia, during his three-day state visit, President Mahama said, “Miracles continue to happen. Tema Oil Refinery, which was comatose for so many years, seven years, has kicked up and has started refining crude oil in Ghana again.”
He noted the impact of TOR’s return on the cost of fuel in Ghana.
“The good thing is when Tema Oil Refinery is working, it allows us to get petroleum products at a lower cost… we get more volumes, and we don’t buy at spot price on the international market. And so they are ramping up. They are not at full production yet, but once they do, it will inure to the benefits of our country.”
President Mahama also recalled the previous government’s attempts to hand over TOR, saying, “So one government can come and just mortgage public property without the say of the people’s representatives.”
The revival follows a four-year halt and successful Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) works on the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), which met international safety and operational standards, enabling a gradual return to full capacity.
TOR’s Acting Managing Director, Edmund Kombat, confirmed that the refinery resumed full operation after a four-year halt, aimed at reducing Ghana’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products, which currently costs the nation around $400 million monthly.
