Tema, Sentuo refineries to meet 70% of Ghana’s fuel demand after expansion- Energy Minister
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, has disclosed that expansion projects at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and Sentuo Oil Refinery are expected to enable the two facilities to meet about 70 per cent of Ghana’s domestic demand for refined petroleum products when completed.
He said increasing the country’s local refining capacity would reduce reliance on imported petroleum products, ease pressure on foreign exchange requirements, improve fuel supply reliability, strengthen the balance of payments and create thousands of jobs across the petroleum value chain.
Dr. Jinapor made the disclosure at the 7th Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GhIPCon 2026) in Accra, where he outlined measures to build a stronger and more resilient downstream petroleum sector.
“Every refinery is more than an industrial facility. It creates an ecosystem of economic activity, supporting transport and logistics companies, engineering services, local contractors, manufacturers, technology providers and thousands of skilled jobs,” he said.
The Minister said the government remained focused on expanding domestic refining capacity as part of efforts to retain more value from Ghana’s petroleum resources within the local economy.
He recalled President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to allocate one million barrels of Jubilee crude oil to local refineries, adding that the next allocation would be supplied to the Tema Oil Refinery as part of efforts to revive the state-owned facility.
Dr. Jinapor said the expansion of TOR and Sentuo Oil Refinery would provide Ghana with a stronger foundation to reduce fuel import dependence and improve energy security.
He also highlighted the role of technology and innovation in improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the petroleum industry.
According to him, digitalisation, automation, intelligent logistics and data-driven regulation are transforming petroleum operations globally by improving efficiency, reducing losses and enhancing transparency.
He called for increased participation of indigenous Ghanaian companies, greater technology transfers and more investment in skills development to prepare the workforce for the future energy industry.
Dr. Jinapor said collaboration between government and industry players would be needed to harness opportunities in the downstream sector and position Ghana as a leading petroleum hub in West Africa.
Adwoa Koramah Anokye-Gyimah, ISD
