By Ebi Kesiena
A US$1.98 billion oil refinery facility in Ghana is scheduled to commence operation by end of August this year.
The refinery, which is the latest investment of Sentuo Group is expected to produce five million metric tonnes of petroleum products including liquified petroleum gas (LPG), jet fuel, gasoline, diesel and fuel oil.
While conducting a tour of the facility, Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond, confirmed that the Sentuo Group was in discussions with the Ministry of Energy to acquire 500,000 barrels of crude oil from Ghana’s oil fields for its first production.
Mr Hammond said the presence of the facility in Ghana, driven by the One district, One factory initiative, was an example of President Akufo-Addo’s vision for Ghana as far as the development of the country was concerned.
The Technical Advisor of the project, George Andoh, explained that the new refinery would help the country to cut its long-standing dependence on imported gasoline and diesel supplies, and save the country the millions of dollars spent to import finished petroleum products.
By 2025, the refinery would refine 4.26 million tonnes of refined petroleum products such as, gasoline, kerosene, and diesel of high quality above the euro iv standard according to the Sentuo Group.
The refinery is also expected to produce 350,000 tonnes of a series of pitch products, 200,000 tonnes of lubricating base oil and solvent naphtha and 400,000 tonnes of by-products such as polypropylene, ammonium sulphate, sulfuric acid and sulphur.
Ghana, one of Africa’s fastest-growing hydrocarbon markets, is seeking to double its production by the end of 2023.
Also, the refinery will employ about 900 people directly.
