The resumption of operations at Ghana's state-owned Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is poised to reshape fuel supply dynamics in West Africa, potentially reducing the country's significant imports from Nigeria's giant Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Tema Refinery Returns After Long Hiatus
After being largely offline since April 2021, the Tema refinery has restarted operations following regulatory approval granted in December 2025. The facility, with an installed capacity of 45,000 barrels per day (bpd), is currently running at approximately 28,000 bpd. According to reports from MarketForces Africa, all refined products from the restart are being directed into storage tanks, marking a significant milestone for the facility.
The operational comeback followed three months of maintenance work on the refinery's crude distillation unit (CDU), which concluded on October 30, 2025. A new management team, led by Edmond Kombat and appointed by the Ghanaian government in May, successfully executed the mandate to restart the CDU and the plant's 14,000 bpd residue fluid catalytic cracking unit.
Impact on Dangote's West African Market Share
This development directly impacts Nigeria's 650,000 bpd Dangote Refinery, which emerged as Ghana's largest fuel supplier in 2025. Data indicates Dangote exported an estimated 27,000 bpd of refined petroleum products to its West African neighbour last year. Industry analysts now suggest Ghana's renewed domestic refining capacity could lessen its dependence on these imported fuels.
The context for this shift is substantial. Commodities data firm Kpler reports that Ghana's imports of clean petroleum products have more than doubled since 2017, reaching about 128,000 bpd in 2025. These imports comprised roughly 65,000 bpd of diesel and gasoil and about 52,000 bpd of gasoline.
Future Plans and Regional Energy Shifts
TOR has outlined plans to gradually increase crude processing to its full 45,000 bpd capacity once a new furnace is integrated. Looking further ahead, the refinery is considering medium-term upgrades that could expand its CDU capacity to 60,000 bpd and replace an existing reformer with a larger unit.
While Ghana's imports from Nigeria may taper, Nigeria's overall refined product export story remains strong. Reports indicate a 44% surge in these exports, driven by increased domestic refining capacity. Furthermore, the Nigerian refining sector is bracing for new competition, with PETROAN data revealing that scores of new refineries under development could add over 850,000 bpd to national capacity upon completion.
The restart of the Tema refinery signals a move towards greater energy security and import substitution for Ghana, potentially redirecting trade flows within the ECOWAS region and setting the stage for a more competitive West African fuel market.
