Ghana has marked a significant milestone in its energy and industrial development with the first delivery of Jubilee crude oil for local refining at the Sentuo Oil Refinery in Tema.
The development is expected to advance the country’s efforts toward energy self-sufficiency, value addition, and industrial growth while reducing reliance on imported refined petroleum products.
Speaking at a crude oil berthing ceremony, Executive Chairman of Sentuo Group, Ningquan Xu, described the commencement of local refining of Jubilee crude as a historic moment in Ghana’s industrial transformation journey.
“For many years, Ghana exported crude oil while importing refined petroleum products. We exported value and imported dependency,” Xu stated.
He said refining Ghana’s crude oil domestically would help retain more value within the economy, create employment opportunities, and strengthen the country’s energy security.
According to him, the move represents a shift towards maximizing the benefits of Ghana’s natural resources through local processing and industrialization.
Xu also announced that President John Dramani Mahama is expected to perform the sod-cutting ceremony for Phase Two of the Sentuo Refinery Expansion Project on June 24, 2026.
The expansion project is anticipated to significantly increase the refinery’s processing capacity and create thousands of additional jobs across the petroleum and related sectors.
The company believes the latest development positions Ghana to become a major petroleum processing and trading hub for West Africa and the wider Sahel region.
Highlighting the significance of the achievement, Xu said the commencement of refining Jubilee crude locally would be remembered as a turning point in the country’s economic and industrial development.
“History will remember this moment as the day Ghana refined more of its own resources for its own development,” he said.
The commencement of refining operations at Sentuo Oil Refinery comes as Ghana continues to pursue policies aimed at boosting local production, strengthening energy infrastructure, and increasing value addition within key sectors of the economy.
