Ghana’s TOR Set to Fully Resume by October

The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) plans to resume full operations by October 2025, aiming to significantly cut Ghana’s reliance on imported refined fuels.

During a briefing with Parliament’s Energy Committee, TOR’s Acting Managing Director, Edmund Kombat, revealed that Ghana spends around $400 million monthly on fuel imports. He stated that once TOR becomes fully operational, the country could slash that cost by more than half.

Kombat told the committee that with TOR running, Ghana would need under 60% of its current import expenditure to meet fuel demand.

He highlighted that TOR’s designed capacity is 45,000 barrels per day, but recent upgrades allow it to refine up to 60,000 barrels daily. With national consumption at approximately 100,000 barrels per day, TOR could cover between 45% and 60% of local needs.

Kombat stressed that the 2021 shutdown was due to crude oil shortages, not technical failure.

He assured the committee that TOR remains viable, having undergone several rounds of maintenance. He clarified that operations halted simply because there was no crude to process.

To ensure a successful restart, TOR formed a Turnaround Maintenance Committee led by the General Manager of Maintenance and overseen by the Deputy Managing Director. The team meets weekly to assess progress.

He noted that TOR aims to bring its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) back online between September and October this year.

Kombat also acknowledged that TOR hadn’t submitted audited financial statements since 2019 but said that external auditors are now closing the gap.

He added that six years’ worth of audited reports should be ready by next month for submission to SIGA and Parliament’s Energy Committee.

Looking ahead, TOR’s 2025 plan prioritizes restarting its Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC), potentially by December or early 2026. Kombat called the RFCC TOR’s core asset, capable of converting residue into valuable products like LPG and premium gasoline.

He pointed out that restarting the CDU is more straightforward, with the RFCC following later. He said the timeline is ambitious but feasible.

Finally, Kombat urged Parliament to support TOR’s revival, emphasizing that it serves the Ghanaian people and deserves collective backing.

source : citinewsroom.com