Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama late Thursday performed the official groundbreaking for the expansion of the Chinese-built Sentuo oil refinery project in Tema, Ghana’s eastern port city, to increase production from 40,000 barrels per stream day to 100,000.
“This investment stands as a powerful vote of confidence in our future and in the vast opportunities that Ghana continues to offer,” Mahama highlighted at the sod-cutting ceremony.
Since the future belongs to nations that refine, manufacture, and export their finished products, the Ghanaian president pointed out the importance of the expansion, which is the second phase of the project, to Ghana’s economy: “It represents precisely the kind of investment Ghana needs at this stage of our development.”
“It strengthens our industrial base, deepens our energy value chains, creates employment opportunities, supports local industries, and advances our broader objective of transforming Ghana into a modern industrial economy,” the president stressed.
He also lauded the Chinese-built refinery, which commenced operations in January 2024, for leading Ghana’s stockpiling of crude oil reserves to cushion the country during the ongoing difficulties in the global crude oil market due to the tensions in the Middle East.
The Ghanaian president pledged to continue working hand-in-hand with his Chinese counterparts to deepen the already strong bonds between their two countries.
Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Cong Song said the commencement of the expansion work is an important step forward in advancing Ghana’s petrochemical industry and stands as a symbol of Chinese enterprises’ strong commitment to the industrialization and modernization of Ghana.
Cong noted that Ghana’s steady progress toward industrial upgrading and greater value addition to its natural resources resonates well with the shared pursuit of win-win cooperation between China and Ghana.
“The phase two expansion of the Sentuo Refinery stands as a practical example of this cooperation. Upon completion, it will support Ghana in boosting its refinery capacity, improving its petroleum value chain, and enhancing energy security. At the same time, it will deepen our economic partnership and win-win cooperation,” the ambassador added.
According to Xu Ningquan, executive chairman of Sentuo Group, employment levels at the refinery would move from 700 to about 1,500 upon completion of the second phase.