Vessel Calls At Tdi Port Increase

Total vessel calls at the Takoradi Port increased from 1,365 in 2017 to 1,565 in October 2018, representing 15 per cent increment.

The port also recorded 983 supply vessel calls by October this year, representing 63 percent.

Port traffic also increased from 6.6 million metric tons (mt) in 2017 to 7.362 million mt in 2018, while container traffic decreased by 8 per cent.

Captain Ebenezer Afedzi, Acting Director of the Takoradi Port, revealed this at a press soiree organized by the port to brief journalists on the activities and performance of the port in the year under review.

“We are working to position the Port of Takoradi as key economic enabler not only for the Sekondi-Metropolis but Ghana and the West African Sub-region as a whole,” he stressed.

He continued, “The opening up of the port for more businesses was on course to attract investors and enhance the livelihood of indigenes through job opportunities.”

He mentioned that the Takoradi Port was gradually equipping itself in terms of infrastructure to play host to the many oil and gas companies and industry players operating in the country and help create jobs.

He indicated that the search for a partner to develop the port into an oil and gas hub was at an advanced stage, adding “Very soon, we will hear very good news in this direction.”

He mentioned that according to the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) six blocks had been earmarked for oil and gas development in the Western Basin.

“Currently, the Black Ivy Group is also to commence ground works on the 405-acre industrial park which is about 25 kilometres from the Port of Takoradi.”

“Negotiations are far advanced for the establishment of companies, who are into automotive, chemical, appliance assembly, agriculture equipment, bio technology and gas processing.”

He added that the port would continue to be a main strategic support base for emerging industries in the oil and gas sector.

“The port fully supports the current onshore explorations of oil and gas in the Voltaian basin.”

He indicated that the Board and management of the GPHA were committed to developing the port to become the best and safest in the sub-region through many projects.

“The Takoradi Port will continue to provide cost-efficient operations in the oil and gas industry,” he added.

The Acting Takoradi Port Director pointed out that the port recently witnessed the load out of the biggest suction pile (15.5 meters width) fabricated at the Belmet 7 yard at the Port to the Jubilee fields.

He said that the construction of the one-million twenty-foot multipurpose container terminal in Joint Venture with Ibistek might commence in 2019.

“With the signing of the agreement, I am reliably informed that Ibistek has initiated negotiations with world acclaimed maritime infrastructure development group Jan de Nul (JDN).

He disclosed that the issue of continuous breakdown of mobile harbour cranes, which became a major hurdle for the port’s operations, had been fixed.

“The problem, I must say, impacted negatively on port operations, particularly container vessel turnaround time.”

“The good news is that the situation is almost resolved and in the coming year the Liebherr Crane, christened George Barnes, will swing into full action.”

In a related development, the leadership of the Port of Takoradi has engaged stakeholders, business entities and well-wishers of the port to a stakeholders’ cocktail to also update them on the numerous interventions outlined to develop the port.

After presenting the general outlook and details of expansion works, vision and targets of creating a regional centre of Port excellence, Captain Afedzi assured businesses that the port had positioned itself to do business with them.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi

 

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