The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has resumed crude oil refining operations after several years of inactivity, marking what management describes as a “historic milestone in the revitalization of Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.”
The restart follows the successful completion of major Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) works on the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), carried out between August 1 and October 30, 2025.
According to TOR in a statement, the maintenance was completed within three months and met international engineering, safety, and operational standards.
Following the maintenance, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) conducted regulatory inspections and confirmed TOR’s “full compliance with all mandatory safety and operational requirements,” subsequently granting clearance for refining activities to resume.
As part of a gradual return to full capacity, TOR noted that it will continue operating in the coming months “to stabilize systems, optimize performance, and ensure sustained operational reliability” ahead of its official recommissioning.
The refinery has also installed a new furnace, F-61, which will soon be commissioned and integrated into the CDU.
TOR said the 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 longer-term plan to expand to 60,000 bpsd.
In the statement, TOR expressed “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 praised the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, whose “dedication, technical oversight, and policy leadership have been instrumental in restoring TOR to operational life.”
TOR further commended its board, management, and staff for their “enthusiasm, resilience, professionalism, and unwavering sense of purpose,” reaffirming its commitment to operate “safely, efficiently, and sustainably as it reclaims its role as a cornerstone of Ghana’s energy infrastructure.”
