The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has finally returned to sustained crude processing after a series of technical setbacks, operational interruptions and financial challenges, Managing Director Edmund Kombat said on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, November 11.
Mr Kombat recounted that a furnace purchased in 2016 blew up in 2017, prompting the insurance company to replace it. The new unit remained idle until the current management completed the required dry‑out process before commissioning. The furnace, once operational, increased TOR’s capacity from 28,000 to 45,000 barrels per stream day.
After a turnaround on the crude distillation unit, the refinery tested the unit on December 19, 2025, successfully refining crude and feeding products to storage. Limited processing continued until February 2026 when crude supply issues forced a temporary halt. Operations resumed in June after supply challenges were resolved.
Mr Kombat highlighted the refinery’s role in Ghana’s economy, noting that it processed about five million barrels of crude during President John Dramani Mahama’s first term (2013‑2016). He also mentioned that TOR’s debt fell from roughly $650 million in 2013 to about $300 million by January 2017 under the Energy Sector Levies Act, with a corporate bond issued to settle debts with four commercial banks.
He urged successive governments and management teams to sustain the refinery’s progress, warning that rapid decline could undo gains made. “If progress was made in that first term and you achieve this result and then within eight years you see a decline, now we are seeing some progress. How do we ensure that that progress is sustained?” he asked.
With TOR back online, Ghana can retain jobs, create opportunities for engineers and reduce dependence on imported finished petroleum products. The refinery’s revival is seen as a positive step for the nation’s energy security and economic stability.
