Cameroon will begin fuel production at its new Mboro refinery near Kribi in December 2026, a move aimed at boosting domestic refining capacity and cutting dependence on imported petroleum products, the state-owned oil firm SNH announced.
The refinery will launch with an initial processing capacity of 10,000 barrels per day (bpd). Once operational, the first phase is projected to meet roughly 22% of the country’s domestic gasoline and diesel demand, improving fuel availability nationwide.
According to SNH, construction will start in June 2026, with procurement and fabrication of equipment for the first phase running through September. Mboro is part of a larger 30,000 bpd project expected to reach full processing capacity by 2027.
The development comes as Cameroon works to expand refining capacity following the 2019 fire that severely damaged Sonara, its main refinery at Cape Limboh near Limbe. Sonara has remained largely inactive since. Authorities hope to resume operations there by December 2027 at 42,000 bpd, with Mboro expected to help bridge current supply deficits.
The $520 million Mboro project will be funded through shareholder capital and debt financing. SNH holds 20% ownership, state-owned petroleum marketer Tradex owns 31%, and Dubai-based Ariana Energy controls the remaining 49%.
BGFI Bank will lead the financing syndicate, which is expected to provide $210 million in debt. SNH will also fund a 250,000-barrel petroleum products storage terminal at Mboro. Future plans include additional storage for diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel and kerosene.
Officials say the refinery will help Cameroon reduce fuel imports, strengthen energy security, and become more central to refined product supply in the region.
The announcement follows recent gains in African refining. Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery earlier reached its full nameplate capacity of 650,000 bpd after restoring and optimizing its Crude Distillation Unit and Motor Spirit production block, southsouthdigest can report.
