Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has hosted a delegation from the Eswatini National Petroleum Company (ENPC) as part of a study visit aimed at strengthening knowledge exchange and institutional capacity across Africa’s petroleum sector.

The engagement, held earlier this week, brought the two national energy institutions together to examine how Ghana’s experience in refining and petroleum-product supply can inform Eswatini’s evolving energy-sector development.

Rather than focusing only on refinery operations, the visit provides a broader opportunity for peer learning among African energy institutions, particularly as countries seek to strengthen domestic energy security and reduce vulnerabilities associated with external supply chains.

For Eswatini, exposure to TOR’s operating experience offers practical lessons on managing national petroleum infrastructure, while Ghana stands to deepen its role as a source of technical and institutional knowledge within Africa’s energy sector.

Refinery Operations Provide Practical Lessons

The ENPC delegation was taken through key aspects of TOR’s operations, including its refining processes, safety practices and systems supporting the supply of petroleum products to Ghana’s domestic market.

The engagement also allowed the two institutions to exchange experiences on the management of strategic energy infrastructure and the operational demands associated with maintaining petroleum supply.

TOR’s position as Ghana’s established refining facility gives such engagements particular relevance as African countries reassess the role of domestic refining in their energy-security strategies.

A refinery is not simply a facility for processing crude oil. Its effectiveness depends on the interaction between technical capability, operational reliability, safety systems, infrastructure, crude supply and the wider petroleum-distribution network.

Consequently, the value of a study visit such as this extends beyond observing equipment or refining processes. It gives visiting institutions an opportunity to understand the systems, institutional practices and operational decisions that determine whether national petroleum infrastructure can consistently support the market.

TOR said the visit allowed the refinery to share its experience while also learning from its Eswatini counterpart.

“Collaboration between national oil companies is essential to strengthening energy security across Africa.”

That approach reflects a growing need for African energy institutions to develop solutions through knowledge sharing rather than addressing similar structural challenges in isolation.

Regional Cooperation Can Strengthen Energy Security

For Ghana, the engagement also reinforces the strategic value of TOR beyond its immediate role in the domestic petroleum market.

Knowledge accumulated through the operation of national energy infrastructure represents an institutional asset. Sharing that experience with other African countries can strengthen regional cooperation while positioning Ghanaian institutions as sources of technical expertise.

The same principle applies to Eswatini. Developing petroleum-sector capacity requires more than establishing policies or acquiring infrastructure. Institutions must also build the operational knowledge required to manage energy assets effectively and respond to changing market conditions.

TOR’s engagement with ENPC therefore creates a platform for practical learning around refinery management, safety and petroleum-product supply.

At the same time, the exchange demonstrates how national energy companies can contribute to continental energy resilience even where their respective petroleum industries operate at different levels of development.

TOR stated that it remains committed to working with national oil companies across the continent and sharing experience that can support stronger energy systems.

“TOR remains committed to knowledge sharing and partnership with national oil companies across the continent, as we work towards a secure, sustainable and self-reliant African energy sector.”
TOR

The emphasis on self-reliance is particularly significant. African countries remain exposed to external shocks when critical energy requirements depend heavily on infrastructure, products, expertise or supply chains outside their control.

Building stronger domestic institutions and refining capabilities does not eliminate those risks entirely, but it can provide governments with greater flexibility in managing disruptions and responding to changes in international energy markets.

Ghana’s Refining Experience Gains Wider Relevance

The study visit also places TOR within a wider conversation about how African countries can maximise existing energy infrastructure.

For Ghana, maintaining and improving the refinery’s operational capability is important not only for petroleum processing but also for preserving technical expertise that can be transferred across the continent.

The exchange with ENPC demonstrates that the knowledge generated through operating a refinery can have value beyond the refinery itself.

Experience in safety management, processing operations, infrastructure maintenance and petroleum-product supply can inform the development of energy institutions elsewhere, creating opportunities for African countries to learn from one another rather than repeatedly building institutional capacity from scratch.

This is particularly relevant for national oil companies, which increasingly face the challenge of balancing commercial performance with broader national energy responsibilities.

The visit consequently offers a model of South-South cooperation in which African energy institutions become both recipients and providers of technical knowledge.

For Ghana, that can strengthen its profile as a regional energy hub not only through petroleum infrastructure, but also through the expertise accumulated by institutions such as TOR.

The ENPC delegation’s study tour is therefore more than a courtesy engagement. It represents an opportunity to translate Ghana’s operational experience into practical lessons for another African energy institution while strengthening relationships that could support future cooperation.

As African countries seek more secure and resilient energy systems, such institutional partnerships could become increasingly important in building the technical capacity required to manage the continent’s energy infrastructure effectively.