Petroleum Hub Targets End-2026 Take-Off

By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi

The Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation, Tony Aubynn, says the Corporation is aiming to begin initial work on the country’s flagship petroleum infrastructure project before the end of 2026.

According to Dr. Aubynn, securing the required land for the hub remains the most significant barrier to the commencement of construction. He expressed optimism, however, that the acquisition process could be finalized by mid-year, allowing preparatory works to begin before the close of the year.

Dr. Aubynn disclosed this during a sideline media interview following a strategic engagement between the Corporation and several Civil Society Organizations, where discussions centered on the progress of the project and the challenges that still need to be addressed.

He explained that the Corporation is currently focusing on two major priorities—completing the land acquisition process and preparing a skilled workforce capable of supporting the large-scale industrial project once investors move in.

“We are working on the land acquisition and at the same time preparing people to be ready for the investors who will come,” he said. “Training people to make them fit for purpose is also one of the areas we are concentrating on.”

Dr. Aubynn noted that the Corporation has set internal timelines to overcome the land-related bottleneck by the middle of the year.

“In our own projection, we believe that by June we should have gone around the issue of land acquisition so that by the end of the year we would have started something,” he said.

He clarified that the Petroleum Hub itself will not be fully constructed within a single year, emphasizing that the project is a long-term development expected to unfold over approximately a decade.

“This is a ten-year project. We are not saying the hub will be built in 2026 or 2027. What we are saying is that the biggest hurdle, which is land acquisition, should be crossed before the end of the year so work can begin,” he added.

Despite the delays linked to land availability, Dr. Aubynn indicated that investor interest in the project remains strong. According to him, global developments, particularly tensions affecting oil supply routes in the Middle East, have heightened the attractiveness of petroleum storage and logistics infrastructure projects.

He revealed that a potential investor recently reached out to express interest in starting port infrastructure and petroleum storage tank development within the hub area.

“Just yesterday one of the investors called and said they want to move in to start with the port infrastructure development and tank farms. They see opportunities for petroleum storage so products can be exported to other countries, Dr. Aubynn disclosed.

He stressed that the Corporation is not facing a shortage of investors but rather the need to complete the necessary groundwork that will allow these investors to commence operations.

“There is no shortage of interested investors. What is short is our readiness to admit them on the land,” he explained.

The Petroleum Hub project is a cornerstone of Ghana’s strategy to transform itself into a major downstream petroleum and petrochemical center in West Africa. Once fully implemented, the initiative is expected to stimulate industrial development, boost exports, create thousands of jobs and attract significant foreign direct investment into the country’s energy sector.

Government officials believe the project will also strengthen Ghana’s position in regional energy trade by expanding refining, storage and distribution capacity for petroleum products across the sub-region.