Kwame Gyan and Filip Morobe signing the contract
A Ghanaian firm, Ibistek Limited, will complete the construction of the first phase of a brand new on-dock container and multi-purpose terminal at the Takoradi Port by June next year.
The multi-purpose container terminal will also serve as a main trans-shipment point for cargo moving from Ghana to neighbouring landlocked countries.
This was revealed at the signing ceremony for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract between Ibistek and the well acclaimed maritime infrastructure development group – Jan de Nul.
The Chairman of Ibistek, Mr. Kwame Gyan, signed on behalf of Ibistek while Filip Morobe, Area Manager of Jan de Nul, signed on behalf of his company.
The construction of the new multi-purpose container terminal at the Takoradi Port will yield tremendous results that will transform the Port of Takoradi.
It is believed that the new container terminal, which will be constructed on a total area of 61 hectares of reclaimed land at the port, is part of the expansion project being undertaken by Ibistek Company at the Takoradi Port.
The first phase of the project will cost about $200 million, while the entire project will cost $470 million.
The project is a joint venture between Ibistek and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHPA) under a concession agreement signed between the two in 2017 to develop dedicated port terminal facilities within the Takoradi Port.
Kwame Gyan expressed gratitude to the president for overseeing the full concession of the port expansion project to Ibistek, which is a company that is 100% owned by Ghanaians.
The Project
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, Mr. Gyan explained that his outfit would build a quay wall with a berth of up to minus 16 (-16), which meant that big container vessels and other vessels carrying general cargo would be able to berth at the Takoradi Port.
“The current berth is 9.6 metres and we are moving to 16 metres which will make the Takoradi Port the deepest sea port in West Coast of Africa. Once we have done that, vessels that carry containers up to 19,000 will be able to dock at the Takoradi Port”, he explained.
He indicated that the first phase of the project would include the construction of 600 metres of quay wall out of the total quay wall length of 1,700.
“We will open the first phase to traffic because we are going to provide 25 acres of paved surface to support the first 600 metres of quay wall. So ships will start coming in before the end of 2019. We will then continue the rest of the project which will take up to about five years”, he added.
According to him, it was the first time that an indigenous company had been given a concession to partner with the local port authority to develop a port which would be owned by Ghanaians.
“It is our hope that this project apart from creating an opportunity for Ghana to influence trans-shipment trade within the West African sub-region will also go to create opportunities for young people to be gainfully employed”, Mr. Gyan stated.
Transport Minister
The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, urged the contractors to ensure that part of the project was done by local business people adding “we want to revive Sekondi-Takoradi through infrastructure development”.
The minister continued: “You have promised to deliver on time and I will urge you to do so to avoid project overrun cost”.
Takoradi Port Director
The Director of Takoradi Port, Ebenezer Afedzi, remarked: “By the end of 2019, the new terminal will receive a container vessel”.
He assured Ibistek that the GPHA was solidly behind the indigenous company because the GPHA wanted to see the terminal operate as early as possible.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi