As the global energy market shifts its attention from energy-rich nations such as the United States and the countries in the Middle East, a new era of African-led energy resources production has emerged in 2026. In the most recent development in the African energy sector, Ghana’s Tema Oil Refinery has restarted processing oil following the completion of an extensive maintenance program. The refinery has languished for years, but thanks to the support of the Ghanaian government, the refinery can begin operations once more.
Ghana’s Tema Oil Refinery is strategically important for the African nation
The refinery was first commissioned way back in 1963, and was the nation’s first value-added investment after the Akosombo dam. The refinery has become universally renowned for providing the international market with high-quality petroleum products.
Unlike most African nations, Ghana has become a mainstay of the international petroleum product market through its class-leading quality of petroleum products. Following years of stagnation, the Tema Oil Refinery has now begun processing operations following an extensive maintenance overhaul program by the company.
The revival of the Tema refinery comes after a three-month Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) program specifically designed for the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit. The TAM program ran from August 1 to October 30, 2025. Refinery management noted that the TAM program met the standards of the international market.
Ghana’s government has completed the necessary safety and operational inspections for the Tema refinery
The government regulator, the National Petroleum Authority, has indeed confirmed that the Tema refinery upgrades have met all the relevant requirements regarding safety and operational standards set by the state. Refining operations at the Tema refinery resumed in December of last year, with the first petroleum products being moved into storage for the first time in years.
The Tema Refinery will now operate on a phased approach to ensure sufficient production
Officials at the Tema refinery have noted that the restarting of operations will come in several phases to stabilize the systems on site. This can ensure a long-term life span for the development and can strengthen Ghana’s refining output over the coming years as the refinery ramps up production.
An all-new furnace will be installed to return the refining capacity of the facility to its original levels of 45,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd). With several African nations now revealing plans to launch new licensing rounds for oil and gas projects, such as Egypt, the reality is that Africa is set to see dramatic growth across the market in 2026.
“It is a new and dynamic time at TOR Ltd., one driven by a bold strategy aimed at maximizing the potential and utilization of existing assets to enhance efficiency, productivity, and ultimately increase profitability. The company has a clear vision to effectively sweat its assets and progressively transitioned into the core of complete refining operations.
“Key initiatives include improving operations and maintenance of assets, upgrading assets with new technologies, exploring new prospects and markets, and implementing a 24/7 shift system at the refinery’s loading gantry among other measures to augment operational efficiency and sustainability. – Edmond Kombat Managing Director of the Tema Refinery
The government has recently reaffirmed its support for the Tema Refinery
Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor, recently reaffirmed the government’s support for the revival of the Tema Refinery. The refinery is among the first eight to be developed in Africa, making it extremely important for the African nation’s petroleum products output capacity. With other developments emerging this year in Africa, such as the new coal-bed methane development in Botswana, the future of the African energy market is looking brighter than ever, with the expectation that the market is only going to grow more this year.
