TOR Boss Edmond Kombat Named Energy Sector Reform Programme Champion of the Year 2026

By: John Justice Ahoto

The Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Mr. Edmond Kombat, has been named the Energy Sector Recovery Programme Champion of the Year 2026 for the Petroleum Sector in recognition of his transformational leadership in reviving Ghana’s only state refinery. The prestigious award was presented by the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, at the Ministry’s 2026 Annual Retreat held at the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho in the Volta Region.

The annual retreat serves as a platform for the Ministry to review its performance and achievements for the year and to strategise and set priorities for 2027, bringing together key leadership and stakeholders within the energy sector.

The ESRP Champion Award, which was introduced in 2025, recognises heads of energy sector institutions who make significant contributions to revenue generation, cost reduction, operational efficiency and good governance. Mr. Kombat was honoured for spearheading the operational and financial turnaround of TOR, a refinery that had been described as a refinery that was not refining. His citation highlighted the successful completion of critical Turnaround Maintenance works on the Crude Distillation Unit between August and October 2025 which paved the way for the resumption of crude oil refining on December 19, 2025 after several years of inactivity. Under his leadership, TOR also achieved the significant milestone of processing one million barrels of Ghana’s locally produced Jubilee Medium Sweet Crude by August 2026, in addition to receiving almost one million barrels from the Sankofa Field. The plant, which restarted operations at about 28,000 barrels per stream day, has since installed a new F-61 furnace to restore its 45,000 barrels per day nameplate capacity.

The revival has translated into strong financial performance, with TOR recording about GH¢1.24 billion profit for the 2025 financial year according to reports, representing its first annual profit in nearly a decade and reversing years of accumulated debts and losses. The State Interests and Governance Authority has commended the refinery for its improved financial performance and for submitting audited financial statements covering 2019 to 2025.

In a statement after receiving the award, Mr. Kombat expressed his profound appreciation to the President of the Republic, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, to Dr. Jinapor, and to the entire leadership and staff of the Ministry for their continued support and confidence in the Board, Management and staff of TOR. He said the recognition belongs to the entire TOR family and is a testament to their collective commitment, sacrifice, resilience and determination to restore TOR to its rightful place as a strategic national asset contributing meaningfully to Ghana’s energy security. The Board, Management and Staff of TOR also warmly congratulated him, describing the honour as well-deserved and an inspiration that motivates them to raise the bar and strive for even greater accomplishments as they work towards building a stronger, safer, more efficient and financially sustainable refinery. Mr. Kombat succeeds the Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana, Kwame Kpekpena, who received the inaugural award in 2025.