TEMA OIL REFINERY TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL BY OCTOBER 2025

The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is expected to return to full operation by October 2025, a development that authorities believe will greatly lessen Ghana’s reliance on imported refined petroleum products.

Source: Tema Oil Refinery

While addressing Parliament’s Energy Committee, TOR’s Acting Managing Director, Edmund Kombat, revealed that Ghana presently spends around $400 million each month on fuel imports. He indicated that once TOR is fully functional, this cost could be reduced by over 50%.

“We spend $400 million every month importing refined petroleum products. When TOR is running, we will need less than 60% of that money to import refined petroleum products,” Kombat told the committee.

He stated that the refinery’s designated processing capacity is 45,000 barrels per stream day. However, with the addition of a new furnace, TOR is now capable of refining up to 60,000 barrels per day. Considering Ghana’s daily fuel consumption is about 100,000 barrels, the refinery has the potential to supply between 45% and 60% of the country’s demand.

Kombat clarified that TOR’s closure in 2021 was not caused by operational challenges but was instead a result of the lack of crude oil supply.

“The refinery is a profitable enterprise; it is capable of refining. There have been many turnaround maintenance works that have taken place at the refinery. The reason it was shut down in 2021 was actually because of a lack of crude,” he emphasised.

To manage the recovery efforts, TOR has set up a Turnaround Maintenance Committee, chaired by the General Manager of Maintenance and overseen by the Deputy Managing Director. The committee holds weekly meetings to track progress toward the refinery’s complete restoration.

“From the timeline that we are seeing, between September and October, we should get the CDU [Crude Distillation Unit] back on stream,” he added.

Kombat also disclosed that TOR has not produced audited financial statements since 2019; however, efforts are currently underway to rectify the situation.

“Another key thing is that for the past six years, the refinery has not had audited accounts since 2019. We’ve brought in external auditors and they are busily working. We are hoping that by next month, we’ll have all six audited accounts to present to SIGA and also give copies to members of the committee,” he stated.

Looking ahead, TOR’s 2025 work plan includes efforts to revive its secondary unit—the Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC)—by December or early next year. Kombat described the RFCC as TOR’s “cash cow,” capable of converting atmospheric residue into high-value products such as premium gasoline and LPG.

“The CDU is easier to bring on stream. The RFCC may come around December or early next year, but the CDU will be on stream between September and October. Our target is ambitious, but achievable,” he concluded.

He appealed to Parliament to support TOR’s revitalisation efforts.

“It’s the people’s refinery, and we are praying that you add your voices to get this plant back.”

Source: citinewsroom.com

BLACK GOLD BULLETIN...

...where oil minds unite