President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned the refurbished Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), describing the development as a major milestone in Ghana’s efforts to revive the state-owned refinery and strengthen domestic petroleum processing.
The commissioning coincided with the official receipt of Ghana’s first one-million-barrel cargo of indigenous Jubilee Medium Sweet crude oil for local refining, marking another significant step towards reducing the country’s dependence on imported finished petroleum products.
President Mahama said the revival of TOR demonstrates that Ghana has the capacity to restore and strengthen critical national assets through competent leadership, professional management and the dedication of Ghanaian workers.
Describing the occasion as “a declaration of purpose,” the President reaffirmed government’s commitment to rebuilding strategic state institutions and positioning them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
He commended the management, board and workers of TOR for their efforts to restore the refinery’s operations without direct financial support from government.
According to President Mahama, the progress achieved at TOR reflects the impact of effective management, innovation and the commitment of Ghanaian workers to restoring a critical national asset.
The refurbished CDU is expected to enhance TOR’s capacity to process crude oil locally, improve domestic petroleum supply security and support Ghana’s broader industrialisation agenda.
The CDU is the primary processing unit in an oil refinery. It separates crude oil into different fractions according to their boiling points, which are subsequently processed into products including gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products.
The arrival of the one-million-barrel Jubilee crude cargo is also expected to provide TOR with a reliable source of indigenous feedstock as the refinery works towards sustained operations.
The development forms part of broader government efforts to revitalise Ghana’s petroleum refining capacity, enhance energy security and maximise the value of the country’s domestic crude resources.
Leave a Reply