Cameroon’s Mboro refinery to start fuel production in December 2026
By Aboki Forex —
Cameroon has announced plans to begin fuel production from its new Mboro refinery in December 2026. The first phase of the refinery will operate at 10,000 barrels per day (bpd). That is expected to meet about 22% of the country’s domestic demand for petrol and diesel.
The refinery is located at Mboro near Kribi in southern Cameroon. Construction is set to begin in June. Procurement and fabrication of equipment for the first phase will run up to September, according to SNH, the state-owned oil firm.
The Mboro refinery is part of a larger 30,000 bpd project. Full processing capacity is expected by 2027. The development comes as Cameroon works to expand refining capacity after the shutdown of its main refinery, Sonara. That facility, located at Cape Limboh near Limbe, was severely damaged by a fire in 2019 and has remained largely inactive. Authorities hope to restart Sonara by December 2027 at 42,000 bpd.
SNH owns 20% of the Mboro refinery. Tradex, a state-owned petroleum marketer, holds 31%. Dubai-based Ariana Energy controls the remaining 49%. The project is estimated to cost $520 million, funded through shareholder capital and debt. BGFI Bank will head the financing syndicate, which is expected to provide $210 million in debt.
A 250,000-barrel petroleum products storage terminal will also be built at Mboro, funded by SNH. Future plans include additional storage for diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel and kerosene. The refinery will help Cameroon reduce fuel imports and boost energy security, while strengthening its role in regional refined products supply.