President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned the refurbished Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), marking the refinery’s return to full-scale operations after extensive rehabilitation works.
The commissioning, held on Saturday, August 1, also coincided with the successful refining of one million barrels of crude oil from the Jubilee Field into petroleum products, a milestone expected to boost domestic refining capacity.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Mahama described the rehabilitation as an important step towards strengthening Ghana’s energy security and reducing reliance on imported petroleum products.
He said the refurbishment of the CDU, the restoration of the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit, the installation of a new F-61 crude heater and the recommissioning of Boiler Number Eight reflected renewed investment in the country’s industrial infrastructure.
According to the President, increasing local refining capacity would enhance Ghana’s economic resilience and support the long-term development of the energy sector.
Mr Mahama also said the refinery’s return to operation fulfilled the vision of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who established TOR in 1963 to support the country’s industrialisation agenda.
He noted that although the refinery had faced operational and financial challenges over the years, its revival demonstrated that state-owned enterprises could recover under effective leadership and management.
The President further claimed that the previous administration had intended to lease the refinery for 15 years for US$22 million, but said the plan did not materialise because of the efforts of TOR’s management and workforce.
He also stated that the rehabilitation and operational turnaround were achieved without direct financial support from the government, crediting the refinery’s management, employees and strategic partners for the progress made.
The recommissioning of the CDU is expected to improve TOR’s refining operations and strengthen its role in supplying petroleum products to Ghana’s domestic market.
