ENERGY & INDUSTRIALIZATION : CSTAR accelerates its refinery and petroleum storage projects in Kribi

Inside the discreet meeting rooms of a major hotel complex in Dubai, discussions stretched around financial charts, industrial projections and technical schedules. Facing screens displaying models of Kribi’s future petroleum facilities, energy executives, investors and board members closely examined the evolution of a project expected to reshape Cameroon’s energy landscape over the long term.

On May 13, 2026, the boards of CSTAR Petroleum, CSTAR Refinery and CSTAR Tank Farm gathered in the Emirate to assess progress on the infrastructure currently under development in Mboro, within Kribi’s industrial-port zone. At the center of the discussions were the future oil refinery, hydrocarbon storage capacities and financing mechanisms intended to support this vast energy program.

Around the table, representatives of the National Hydrocarbons Corporation, Tradex and their technical and financial partners welcomed what they described as significant progress across several components of the project. Board members notably highlighted advances in engineering studies, financial structuring and the gradual mobilization of international industrial partners.

Within this project, Kribi once again emerges as one of the key strategic hubs of Cameroon’s industrialization drive. Already boosted by the development of its deep-sea port, gas infrastructure and metallurgical complexes, the coastal city in the South Region is now seeking to consolidate its role within Central Africa’s petroleum and energy value chain.

Chairing the meeting, Nathalie Moudiki recalled that CSTAR now represents a major instrument for transforming Cameroon’s national petroleum sector. According to her, the project should enable the country to strengthen its energy sovereignty while developing local refining and storage capacities capable of meeting growing sub-regional demand.

Consortium officials also emphasized the increasing interest shown by several international financial institutions and banking partners regarding the financing of the project’s various components. In a context marked by volatility in global energy markets and rising demand for petroleum infrastructure across Africa, CSTAR’s promoters are seeking to secure funding capable of supporting the progressive deployment of the facilities.

In Cameroon, the stakes remain considerable. Despite its hydrocarbon resources, the country still relies heavily on imports of refined petroleum products. Modernizing national refining capacities is therefore viewed as a strategic lever to reduce logistics costs, improve domestic supply and support industrial development.

In Kribi, the future Mboro refinery and storage terminal could also strengthen the economic attractiveness of Cameroon’s maritime corridor for regional investors. Several observers believe that this type of infrastructure could contribute to the emergence of a genuine regional energy hub connected to Central African markets.

At the close of the Dubai meetings, board members reaffirmed their determination to maintain the project’s strategic timetable. Beyond the technical and financial discussions, a shared ambition is gradually taking shape: building around Kribi a modern, integrated energy industry capable of supporting Cameroon’s economic ambitions over the coming decades.

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Esther Grâce

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