NPA Chief Presses Sentuo Refinery to Deepen Local Content as Downstream Role Expands

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, has urged Sentuo Oil Refinery to deepen local content participation, even as he commended the company’s expanding contribution to Ghana’s downstream petroleum industry.

Mr. Tameklo made the call during a working visit to the Sentuo Oil Refinery on Monday, January 5, 2026, where he led a delegation from the NPA to engage the refinery’s management and staff. The visit formed part of the regulator’s ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration with industry players while supporting sustainable growth in the sector.

During the engagement, the NPA chief acknowledged Sentuo’s role in supporting national fuel supply, improving product availability, and enhancing competition within the downstream market. He described the refinery as an increasingly important player whose operations have helped reduce reliance on imports and added value across Ghana’s petroleum value chain.

However, Mr. Tameklo stressed that the next phase of Sentuo’s development should go beyond infrastructure expansion and output growth to focus more deliberately on Ghanaian participation. He challenged the company to increase the involvement of local professionals, contractors, and service providers across its operations.

According to the NPA boss, local content is not only a regulatory obligation but also a strategic tool for building a resilient and inclusive petroleum industry. Deepening local participation, he said, helps retain value within the domestic economy, strengthens local technical capacity, and ensures that the benefits of large-scale industrial investments extend beyond corporate balance sheets.

He explained that the visit reflects the NPA’s broader engagement strategy, which emphasizes dialogue, guidance, and partnership alongside regulation and enforcement. The approach, he noted, is aimed at strengthening standards, safety, and sustainability across Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.

Sentuo Oil Refinery was developed under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which promotes industrial cooperation between China and Africa. Following extensive research and consultations, the Sentuo Group adopted refinery technology developed by Shanghai HoTo Engineering.

Phase One of the Sentuo Oil Refinery Limited (SORL) project was completed in October 2022, delivering an initial production capacity of two million tonnes per year. Phase Two, completed in January 2024, expanded capacity to five million tonnes per year, significantly strengthening Ghana’s domestic refining capability.

The refinery is located within the Tema Industrial Zone and aligns with the government’s One District, One Factory policy as well as the broader development plan for the Tema Industrial Park. The project incorporates modern technology, energy efficiency measures, environmental protection standards, and scalable production systems designed to support long-term industrial growth.

As Ghana seeks to balance energy security with industrial development, regulators and industry leaders alike see local content development as central to ensuring that investments in refining and petroleum infrastructure translate into lasting economic benefits.

Source: Accra Street Journal

Last Updated on January 6, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.

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