Tema Port Expansion Project To Commence

Richard Y. Anamoo flanked by the CEO of the MPS and some officials.

The Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA) has reached an agreement with Meridian Port Services (MPS), partners of Bollore Africa Logistics and APM Terminal, to execute the first major expansion project at the Tema Port at a cost of $1.5 billion.

MPS, which is one of the leading container terminal operators in Africa, would finance the building of four deep water berths, breakwater and access that would accommodate larger vessels.

The project is expected to begin in the second quarter of next year.

Two berths are expected to be ready by October, 2016 while the rest are projected to be completed by December, 2018.

The project, which is the first of its kind since the construction of the port in 1962, would also include the reconstruction of the Accra-Tema Motorway into three lanes that would link the port to the rest of the country.

The Memorandum of Understanding (Mou), which was first signed at the Ministry of Transport last Friday before the briefing of President John Dramani Mahama on the situation, would have a capacity of 3.5 million TEU in line with the GPHA's master plan for Tema Port.

Richard Y. Anamoo, Director General of Ports, touching on the project, said the reconstruction of the entire 24.7 km motorway from Tetteh Quarshie Interchange to Tema Roundabout would start in the third quarter of 2015.

He explained that as a result of the growth in economic activity and increasing volumes of exports and imports at the port, his outfit took steps to expand it to accommodate container vessels and increase its container handling capacity.

He noted GHPA is determined to transform the Tema Port through the joint venture to help the nation to provide world-class infrastructure.

Mohammed Samara, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MPS, explained that the project would create about 5,000 jobs that would contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation.

According to him, 'MPS understands that to strive and operate an effective and efficient terminal, we need to use technology as the business driver.

From Vincent Kubi, Tema