Cameroon is aiming to begin supplying refined petroleum products from a newly developed refinery before the end of 2026 as the country moves to strengthen domestic fuel production capacity and reduce reliance on imports.
The project, located in Mboro near the southern port city of Kribi, is expected to commence operations with an initial processing capacity of 10,000 barrels per day (bpd), forming the first phase of a larger refinery designed to process 30,000 bpd upon full completion.
According to state-owned oil company SNH, construction activities are scheduled to commence in June, while procurement and fabrication works for the first phase are expected to be completed by September.
The company said production from the first phase is projected to meet approximately 22 percent of Cameroon’s domestic demand for gasoline and diesel products once operations begin later this year.
Plans are also underway to increase capacity to the refinery’s full 30,000 bpd design level by 2027.
The Mboro facility will become a key component of Cameroon’s refining infrastructure and is expected to complement existing assets within the country's downstream petroleum sector.
The refinery is situated several hundred kilometres from the country’s existing Sonara refinery at Cape Limboh near Limbe. Sonara, which has a nameplate capacity of 42,000 bpd, has remained largely inactive since suffering extensive damage from a fire in 2019. Authorities are targeting a restart of the facility in December 2027.
Ownership of the Mboro refinery is shared among three investors. SNH holds a 20 percent stake in the project, while state-owned petroleum marketing firm Tradex owns 31 percent. The remaining 49 percent is controlled by Dubai-based Ariana Energy.
Project developers estimate the refinery will require approximately $520 million in investment. Financing is expected to come from a combination of shareholder equity and external borrowing.
SNH disclosed that regional lender BGFI Bank is coordinating a financing syndicate to secure about $210 million in debt funding to support project execution.
In addition to the refinery itself, plans include the construction of a 250,000-barrel petroleum products storage terminal adjacent to the facility. The terminal will be financed entirely by SNH.
The company also outlined future expansion plans for the storage infrastructure, including an additional 100,000 tonnes each for diesel and gasoline storage, 30,000 tonnes for aviation fuel and another 20,000 tonnes for kerosene storage.
The project forms part of broader efforts by Cameroon to expand domestic refining capacity, improve fuel supply security and strengthen its position within the regional petroleum products market.