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Tema Oil Refinery to restart in October after four years of inactive maintenance

Ghana’s only refinery is preparing to resume operations after a prolonged shutdown caused by technical and financial issues, with a restart scheduled for October according to its management.

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Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), the sole petroleum refinery in Ghana, is set to resume operations in October following a four-year shutdown caused by technical failures and lack of funding. Interim Managing Director Jerry Kwofie confirmed that the facility is now ready for restart, pending crude oil availability and completion of final technical adjustments.

A strategic asset idle since 2021

With a refining capacity of approximately 45,000 barrels per day, TOR plays a central role in the country’s energy supply. Its prolonged inactivity has forced Ghana to import nearly all of its petroleum products. In 2024, these imports amounted to an estimated $10.2bn, according to the Bank of Ghana.

The refinery has been offline since 2021 due to critical breakdowns and delays in rehabilitation work. In March 2023, TOR’s management estimated that $25mn was needed to restore the facilities to operational condition and resume the logistics chain.

A framework agreement to stabilise operations

To facilitate the restart, a memorandum of understanding was signed at the end of July between Tema Oil Refinery and the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), the state-owned entity responsible for petroleum storage and transport in Ghana. The agreement includes technical support, access to BOST’s infrastructure, and a plan to settle debts accumulated by the refinery over more than two decades.

According to TOR’s management, the partnership is expected to ensure a sustainable restart by securing access to logistics facilities and necessary operational expertise.

Heightened expectations for a reliable restart

Several previous restart announcements failed due to operational issues and lack of coordination among stakeholders. This time, management states that all technical conditions are nearing completion.

“We have reached a critical milestone with the finalisation of the memorandum of understanding,” said Jerry Kwofie, noting that the refinery is in its final phase of preparation, though no specific date was given for the processing of the first crude batch.

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