After several years of inactivity, management of Ghana’s premier crude oil processing facility, Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), announced the resumption of operations on Saturday, December 27.

However, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Edudzi Kudzo Tameklo, in a recent interview, the facility requires an estimated US$200 million for a revamp to help sustain its operations.

Speaking to the media on Monday, December 30, he stated, “There are two things that we need to be looking at. One, the issues about safety. Two, the issues about sustainability. Now, to have these operations in a more sustainable manner would also require that government begins to um invest in the industry. um whilst coming uh I've been doing a bit of um reading on it and uh one of the things that

“I chanced upon is the fact that regardless of whatever we do, we also need investment in the region of almost $200 million. $200 million. Yes. For a proper revamp. Proper proper proper revamp of the refinery. And when you see um um revamp, there are certain key um technical things or equipment that I think the refinery would need to bring it to international um best practice.”

TOR’s resumption has become possible following the completion of extensive Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) works on the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit (CDU).

Maintenance works began on August 1 and ended on October 30 this year. This information was contained in a press statement released by management on Saturday, December 27.

TOR’s resumption is expected to boost energy security, industrial growth, and national development, potentially saving Ghana up to $10.2 billion in oil import bills annually.

Tema Oil Refinery halted its operations in 2018, citing a lack of crude oil, which serves as a raw material for maintaining the refinery. Other factors that influenced the closure include broken equipment, piled debt, among others.

Addressing party delegates in 2023, President Mahama assured the creation of jobs through the revamping of the refinery.

He pledged to revive the oil refinery to its former glory, which he claimed had collapsed under the then Akufo-Addo government.

“Since we (NDC) left office, TOR has never processed crude oil again. I remember before we left office, we sent to TOR the first batch of Ghanaian crude oil from our own oil fields for TOR to process. That oil sat there for several years; eventually, they discounted the oil and sold it out without processing it. I can assure you, when NDC comes back, TOR will stand on its feet again,” he noted.

In June this year, Managing Director of TOR, Mr. Edmond Kombat, revealed that refinery operations would commence in October.

He informed the Parliamentary Committee on Energy on Sunday, June 22, when he briefed the committee on the leadership's mandate, work plans for the year 2025, and their operational challenges.

The engagement forms part of the committee’s oversight responsibility of the agencies under the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition.

In his submission, Mr. Edmond Kombat indicated that TOR will continue with the gantry and terminal upgrade.

He noted that the current leadership will also complete ongoing projects commenced by the previous administration, as well as work on their debt and financial restructuring, and the retooling of their laboratory.

He noted that the refinery was wallowing in debt worth $517 million after being inactive for the past four years. The current debt is as of December 2024.

The Managing Director said: “There were times that the Ministry of Finance in the past had given some funds to TOR and some of it, for example, was grants, and then when they entered into the agreement with the IMF, the IMF asked them to reclassify it as debt.

“So, those things have accumulated to that amount of money, and I think the last time TOR traded, some of the trades were not hedged,” he said.

“We are doing that verification, and once we do that verification and authentication of what we have been able to bring down, that will be communicated publicly,” Mr. Edmond Kombat added.

According to him, for the past six months, TOR had not audited its financial accounts.

The Managing Director made a special appeal to the parliamentary committee to help them resolve some of their challenges.

They include restructuring of their debts with the ESLA receivables, converting GOG debts into equity, reinstating the TOR portion of the ESLA Levy, allowing TOR to participate in the primary distribution margin, and giving TOR a representation on the Laycan Committee, among others.