The country would be processing crude oil from the Jubilee Oil Field in the Western Region soon after the rehabilitation of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
The Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah announced this at an interaction with News Editors in Accra on Friday.
He disclosed that government has set up a task force which has been working around the clock to ensure that the refinery is giver a major facelift, to assist in addressing the challenge facing the energy sector in the country.
�The team is to ensure that government�s vision for TOR becomes reality. It was drawn from various ministries and oil sector agencies, including the National Petroleum Authority and the Finance Ministry�, he disclosed.
Mr. Buah said a team would also investigate the revenue losses and other related matters of TOR and present its report to inform the Ministry on the necessary action to be taken to address them.
Government would also consider proposals and recommendations it receives on the refinery and take appropriate steps to revamp TOR.
�Already, TOR is strategizing to resolve issues of technical losses to improve profitability which include ensuring that its creditors pay quickly and with 30 days as required by law,� he said.
Mr. Buah emphasized that the revamping is government priority aimed primarily at making fuel and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) affordable and accessible to all Ghanaians.
On the gas processing plant at Atuabo, in the western Region, Mr Buah stated that works are near completion and hopefully by next year it would be ready for use.
Mr. Buah also assured of government�s commitment to making nuclear energy a viable option in power generation adding that �measures have been put in place to realize that goal.�
According to him, the decision stems from the increasing demand to power in the country and government�s target to generate up to 5,000 megawatts of power.
�We are also considering solar energy as another option, to supplement electricity and as such government has begun a free distribution of solar lantern across the country� he stated.
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