Jinapor to lead inter-ministerial talks to resolve Petroleum Hub hurdles

The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, has pledged to lead inter-ministerial engagements to resolve outstanding land acquisition, compensation and financing issues delaying the development of Ghana’s Petroleum Hub.

Dr Jinapor said he would engage the Ministries of Finance and Lands and Natural Resources, together with the Attorney-General’s Office, to address the outstanding challenges and create the conditions necessary for the project to advance.

The commitment follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC) and an investment consortium led by the United Arab Emirates-based Global Sphere for the development of Lot 2 of the project.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister said the interest demonstrated by investors must be matched by decisive action from government institutions to remove obstacles to implementation.

He pledged to work closely with the PHDC to fulfil the government’s obligations and ensure the project moves beyond agreements and planning to actual construction.

“You have my full support. I will engage the Minister of Finance and the Attorney-General. I will also bring on board the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources so that, together, we can guide this project and provide the necessary backing,” he said.

Dr Jinapor commended the PHDC, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Toni Aubynn, for its efforts to advance the Petroleum Hub initiative.

He stressed that the Corporation required strong institutional support to deliver the project, which forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s ambitions for Ghana’s oil and gas sector.

The planned inter-ministerial engagements are expected to focus on resolving outstanding land acquisition and compensation matters, alongside financing challenges that could affect implementation.

Addressing these issues will be important to preparing project sites and establishing the conditions needed for construction to begin as scheduled.

Dr Aubynn described the Energy Minister as a consistent supporter of the Petroleum Hub and said the Corporation had made implementation a priority for 2026.

He explained that the project was designed to become a strategic national asset capable of strengthening Ghana’s energy security, creating jobs and reducing the country’s exposure to external economic shocks.

According to him, developments in the global energy market, including geopolitical tensions, have reinforced the importance of building domestic refining, storage and petrochemical capacity.

“We believed that the groundwork had been laid, that the partnerships were within our reach, and that the time had come to move from boardroom plans on paper to progress on the ground,” he said.

Under the proposed Lot 2 development, the Global Sphere-led consortium is expected to construct major refining, petrochemical and storage facilities.

The planned infrastructure includes:

• A refinery with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per stream day.

• Two petrochemical plants.

• Storage infrastructure with a capacity of four million cubic metres.

• A multi-berth jetty.

The development is expected to be completed within five years, with on-site activities in Jomoro scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

The government's planned engagement with the relevant ministries and the Attorney-General’s Office will be crucial to resolving outstanding issues that could affect the project's timeline.

While the MoU signals progress in securing investment interest for Lot 2, the next phase will depend on translating the agreement into concrete implementation steps, including financing arrangements, the resolution of land and compensation matters, and the preparation of project sites.

The Petroleum Hub is expected to play a significant role in Ghana’s ambition to expand its oil and gas value chain, develop downstream industries, create employment and strengthen energy security.

Whether the project meets its proposed construction schedule will depend in part on how quickly the government and the PHDC can resolve the remaining obstacles and move into the construction phase.