The Port of Tema’s ambition to become the transhipment hub of choice on the West Coast of Africa has taken a step forward with the completion of the fourth new berth of the Tema Port Expansion Project.
Mohamed Samara, CEO of container terminal operator Meridian Port Services (MPS), said the completion of the berth was not, however, the end of Tema’s port expansion ambitions.
“The vision is to harness the location of the port along with its enabling factors to become the first port of call and a transhipment hub,” he said at an event to commission the new berth.
An additional 16 gantry cranes (three STS and 13 eRTG) are on order to meet growing container traffic demands.
According to Samara, capacity has been doubled since starting operations at Terminal 3.
“This has not only driven gateway cargo market growth in Ghana, but also the increase of transit and transhipment trade. We have secured intercontinental transhipment volumes connecting the Far-East trade routes with the East Coast of the Americas and also southern African trade with Europe.”
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi, believes the development of an efficient and integrated multimodal infrastructure plays a critical role in reducing trade costs and enhancing competitiveness to promote intra-regional trade. “The development of trade–related infrastructure is therefore critical for the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.”
The goal of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), said chairman Isaac Osei, was to ensure the transformation of the port’s facilities to world-class standards by partnering with private stakeholders to improve the quality of services in the port.
