The Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Edmond Kombat, has declared that Ghana’s only state-owned refinery is once again refining crude oil following years of operational inactivity, describing the commissioning of the rehabilitated Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) as a landmark in the country’s industrial recovery.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in Tema on Saturday, attended by President John Dramani Mahama and senior government officials, Mr. Kombat said the rehabilitation marked the restoration of confidence in the refinery and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening its energy security.
“For many years, one question lingered in the minds of Ghanaians: Could TOR refine again? Today, that promise has become reality,” he said.
Mr. Kombat credited President Mahama’s leadership and commitment to reviving strategic national industries, saying the President’s pledge during the election campaign to restore refining operations had now been fulfilled.
He also acknowledged the support of the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, the refinery’s Board of Directors, technical partners, and TOR staff for their roles in restoring operations.
According to the Managing Director, the refinery resumed refining operations on December 19, 2025, following the successful completion of turnaround maintenance on the Crude Distillation Unit.
He said the rehabilitation programme also included the installation of a new Furnace F-61, the rehabilitation of Boiler No. 8, the commissioning of a new 120-ton steam boiler, the revival of Generator Five, and the completion of long-outstanding audited financial accounts.
Mr. Kombat disclosed that since May 2026, TOR had successfully received and processed three separate one-million-barrel cargoes of crude oil, including Ghana’s Jubilee Medium Sweet crude.
“For a nation that has exported crude for over fifteen years while importing refined petroleum products, this represents a profound turning point in our industrial history,” he said.
The Managing Director announced that TOR had also returned to profitability after nearly a decade of losses, recording a profit before tax exceeding GH¢1 billion for the 2025 financial year.
He attributed the financial turnaround to improved operational efficiency, stronger financial discipline, reduced receivables and the completion of outstanding audits.
Mr. Kombat said the refinery’s recovery had extended beyond infrastructure to include significant investment in human capital.
He revealed that 301 temporary workers, including recent university graduates, were employed during the CDU rehabilitation, while an additional 287 temporary workers had been engaged for the ongoing turnaround maintenance of the Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit.
He added that contracts awarded to about 35 local subcontractors had created employment for another 654 temporary workers.
Beyond the temporary engagements, Mr. Kombat said TOR had recruited a record 300 young engineers into permanent positions to develop the next generation of refining professionals.
He noted that the combined initiatives had directly created opportunities for 1,542 Ghanaians through permanent and temporary employment.
“Industrial recovery is not only about restoring machines. It is equally about restoring dignity, confidence and opportunity,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mr. Kombat said TOR’s strategic objective was to become one of the most competitive refineries in West Africa by serving both Ghana’s domestic market and the wider ECOWAS sub-region.
He said future priorities included rehabilitating additional processing units, modernising facilities, expanding refining capacity, strengthening the refinery’s financial position and enhancing operational excellence.
Mr. Kombat expressed appreciation to the President, the Energy Minister, the Board of Directors, technical partners, state institutions including the National Petroleum Authority, BOST, GOIL PLC and GNPC, as well as international partners Triangle Commodities Trading and Fujairah for their support in the refinery’s revival.
He also commended TOR’s engineers, technicians, operators and other employees, describing their professionalism and resilience as central to the refinery’s recovery.
Concluding his address, Mr. Kombat said the commissioning of the rehabilitated facilities was not the end of TOR’s transformation but confirmation that Ghana’s refinery had returned to operation.
“Today’s commissioning is not a declaration that our work is complete. It is the confirmation that Ghana’s refinery is back, that TOR is refining again, that confidence has returned, and that the best days of Tema Oil Refinery still lie ahead,” he said.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
