Ghana restarts sole refinery in major energy milestone

ACCRA, December 26, 2025 – Ghana’s Tema Oil Refinery has resumed crude refining operations for the first time in years, marking a critical breakthrough for the country’s energy sector, BOSTenergies said on Thursday.

The refinery’s restart follows a near-complete restructuring plan aimed at slashing the country’s USD 10.2-billion annual oil import bill and boosting domestic energy security. The facility is expected to meet up to 60% of Ghana’s oil demand and save around USD 400 million monthly in import costs.

Government works included upgrades to distillation units, pipelines and storage systems to restore operational capacity. The initiative forms part of the Resetting Ghana Agenda, led by President John Mahama, aimed at broader economic reforms and strengthening national infrastructure.

Tema Oil Refinery, Ghana’s state-owned facility, has a nameplate capacity of 45,000 bpd but had remained largely inactive due to financial and technical hurdles. Its revival is seen as critical for supporting industrial growth and reducing dependence on imported fuels.

Tema Oil Refinery operates under the Ghanaian Ministry of Energy and is a cornerstone of the nation’s refining and downstream petroleum strategy. Its restart is expected to spur job creation and support wider energy sector resilience through local crude processing.

BOSTenergies is Ghana’s state-owned strategic energy infrastructure company. The company’s mandate is to develop and operate a national network of petroleum storage tanks, depots and pipelines, while maintaining Ghana’s strategic reserve stocks to support reliable fuel distribution and energy security.

BOST’s involvement in the Tema Oil Refinery centres on supporting efforts to revive Ghana’s only refinery through infrastructure and operational collaboration. In July 2025, TOR and BOST signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen technical and commercial cooperation aimed at helping restore refinery operations and strengthen the downstream petroleum sector, leveraging BOST’s storage and transportation capabilities, including pipeline connectivity between Tema and BOST’s depot network.

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