Ghana's Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has proposed expanding its Tema facility to a combined 200,000 barrels per stream day (b/sd) by 2029 through a two-track development programme. The plan combines a brownfield capacity addition of 40,000 b/sd at the existing refinery with a greenfield grassroots plant adding a further 115,000 b/sd on the same site.
The brownfield component builds on TOR's current installed base, offering a lower-risk entry point to lift throughput within an established operational footprint. The grassroots unit is a substantially larger undertaking — more than double the incremental volume of the brownfield phase — and would represent one of the more significant refinery construction projects in West Africa if it proceeds to sanction. Together, the two phases would bring Tema's nameplate capacity to 200,000 b/sd, positioning Ghana as a meaningful regional refining hub capable of processing a larger share of the country's own crude output and reducing dependence on imported refined products.
At this stage, TOR's announcement constitutes a proposal rather than a sanctioned project. No final investment decision, financing structure, contractor awards, or EPC tender processes have been publicly disclosed. The timeline to 2029 is aspirational, and progression through feasibility, environmental approvals, and funding rounds will determine whether either phase reaches construction. Nonetheless, the scale of the grassroots element — 115,000 b/sd — signals genuine ambition and, if financeable, would require substantial engineering, procurement, and construction mobilisation across multiple disciplines.
Ghana's downstream sector has long been under pressure from ageing infrastructure and chronic underinvestment. TOR has historically operated well below its licensed capacity, and the refinery's rehabilitation has been a recurring government priority. A successful expansion would have knock-on implications for crude offtake from Ghana's offshore production fields, including Jubilee and TEN, as domestically refined volumes displace imports. For the broader West African market, additional Ghanaian refining capacity could also ease regional supply tightness in middle distillates and fuel oil.
Service and engineering companies with downstream refining expertise should track this programme closely. If the proposal advances to a formal feasibility study tender or EPC prequalification, the brownfield phase in particular — with its tighter site constraints and integration requirements — would favour contractors experienced in revamp and debottlenecking work on live refining assets. The greenfield grassroots unit, at 115,000 b/sd, would require full-scope EPCM capability including process units, utilities, tankage, and marine or pipeline offtake infrastructure.