“I Have My Doubts”: Petroleum Workers' Union Reacts To Pledge For Tema Oil Refinery To Resume Work

• The General Transport, Petroleum, and Chemical Workers' Union is sceptical about the Tema Oil Refinery's plan resume refining crude in three months
• The union's chairman told YEN.com.gh there was no indication the refinery could be back on line in three months
• The Tema Oil Refinery can refine 45,000 barrels daily, with a potential to refine 100,000 barrels per stream daily

The General Transport, Petroleum, and Chemical Workers Union is sceptical about the Tema Oil Refinery's ability to resume refining crude in the next three months.

The union's chairman, Bernard Owusu, told YEN.com.gh there was no indication the recent pledge to get the refinery back to work.

"As it stands now, I don't have anything before me that shows that the refinery can be operational... I have my doubts," Owusu said.

Macumba Tagoe, the new Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery, said work was ongoing to get the Crude Distillation Unit to start functioning. The Tema Oil Refinery can refine 45,000 barrels daily.

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Regardless, he said the union was still optimistic there could be a turnaround.

"We are hopeful the refinery comes on stream to augment the operations of the BDCs and other service providers.”

The Tema Oil Refinery could face competition from the new $2 billion Sentuo Oil Refinery Limited, which has drawn criticism.

The new refinery has the backing of the Chinese government and was conceived as part of the Chinese government’s Belt and Road Development Strategy for the oil and gas industry in China and Africa.

The new refinery could refine five million barrels of oil annually.

Earlier plan to lease TOR

YEN.com.gh has reported that the government had plans to lease the refinery to Torentco Asset Management Group for $22 million over six years.

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However, some refinery workers supported the deal and the government's moves.

Under the deal, Torentco planned to refine up to 8 million barrels of oil annually and pay the state $1 million annually as rent.

The General Transport, Petroleum, and Chemical Workers previously called for the Tema Oil Refinery board to be dissolved because of the handling the proposed partnership with Torentco Asset Management Limited.

Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh