Cameroon's Ministry of Finance (Minfi) has highlighted the need to revive key projects such as the rehabilitation of the Société Nationale de Raffinage (Sonara) and the construction of a fertilizer plant, against a backdrop of increasing international tensions [cite: null]. This recommendation follows a report by Minfi entitled "The Iranian Conflict and the Cameroonian Economy: Analysis of the Transmission Channels of a Geopolitical Shock on the Economies of CEMAC and Cameroon" [cite: null].
Sonara, whose facilities were severely damaged by a fire in May 2019, is a major concern [cite: null]. Rehabilitation work has been announced almost every year since the disaster. During a board meeting held on December 23, 2025, in Yaoundé, a budget of 291.9 billion FCFA was allocated to the Acceleration Plan for Restructuring and Rehabilitation Measures to Resume Refining Within 24 Months (Parras 24) [cite: null, 5]. The implementation of this plan is highly anticipated [cite: null]. The main objective of Parras 24 is to restore the damaged units and upgrade the undamaged ones, in order to resume refining activities with a capacity of 3.5 million tons per year at the Limbe site by the end of 2027.
In parallel, hopes are turning to Cstar Petroleum. On July 17, 2025, the company launched the construction of a crude oil refinery in Kribi with a capacity of 30,000 barrels per day from 2027, as well as a fuel storage terminal [cite: null]. According to authorized sources, Cstar Petroleum anticipates an "early production" of 10,000 barrels per day from the second half of 2026, which could cover around 22% of the national demand for diesel and gasoline [cite: null, 4, 6]. The Kribi refinery project, estimated to cost $622 million, is expected to begin partial operations in the second half of 2026, almost two years ahead of its original schedule in June 2028. Construction of the refinery is scheduled to begin in January 2026.
Regarding local fertilizer production, several projects have been pending for more than a decade [cite: null]. These include the production unit of the German company Ferrostaal in Limbé, announced more than ten years ago, Vision Global's projects to build two chemical and organic fertilizer plants in Limbé and Yaoundé, and the government's project for a plant in Douala [cite: null]. The Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (Minmidt) has launched a call for expressions of interest to recruit consulting firms for a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study. This study will assess the technical, economic and financial feasibility of a future chemical fertilizer production plant.
Despite these initiatives, fertilizer imports have increased, reaching 44.4 billion FCFA in the first half of 2025, compared to 40.2 billion FCFA in the same period in 2024. The government is targeting production of 10 million tonnes by 2030 and is working to reduce dependence on imports through public-private partnerships and investment in local plants. In May 2025, the Minister of Agriculture, Gabriel Mbaïrobé, inaugurated a unit of Hydrochem Cameroun in Bonabéri, Douala, with a capacity of 120,000 tonnes per year, expandable to 150,000 tonnes.
The rehabilitation of Sonara and the construction of fertilizer plants are priorities for Cameroon in order to reduce its dependence on international markets and stabilize its economy in the face of geopolitical crises. The Kribi refinery is expected to reduce fuel imports by nearly one-third, easing pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
