The first phase of the new multi-purpose on-dock container terminal at the Takoradi Port, which is being undertaken by wholly-owned Ghanaian firm Ibistek, will be completed by the third-quarter of next year, the project implementer has said.

The first phase of the project involves the construction of 600 metres of quay wall, out of a project total quay length of 1,700 metres over a 62-hectare surface area.

The terminal will have deep berths that will be able to accommodate vessels that carry containers up to 19,000 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units).

The facility is expected to attract diverted container traffic, particularly from the Port of Tema and other neighbouring ports such as Lomé and Abidjan, which is estimated to reach in excess of 33,000TEUs by 2040.

The expansion work has also been tipped to reposition the Takoradi Port to provide the needed support to the burgeoning oil and gas services industry in the western end of the country, and also advance socio-economic activities and livelihoods of people within the port’s enclave.

Dr. Felix Nana Sackey, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ibistek Group, who disclosed this to journalists in Accra, said the project was born out of the company’s vision to play a key role in big-ticket port infrastructure development, an area that has been mostly reserved for foreign multinationals in all port countries across the continent.

“We believe that there is risk involved, but we also believe that we have neutralised most of the risks based on our research and review of the port industry—because we have the capacity to manage,” he added.

Dr. Sackey attributed the success of the project to the support of key stakeholders, specifically the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), whilst asking government to build the needed ancillary infrastructure to realise the expected benefits of the project.

“So far GPHA has been very cooperative and we’ve been working together very well on the project itself. But in terms of the ancillary infrastructure, we will need the support of the government when it comes to road infrastructure, especially if we want to rope in the landlocked countries,” he said.

Human Resource Manager for Takoradi Port Peter Amo- Bediako said the terminal will enhance operations at the port: “The new terminal gives us the leverage to attract larger volumes of cargo and to be able to handle it efficiently. It will also help to improve vessel turnaround time, reduce the cost of doing business at the port as well as boost government revenue from the Takoradi Port, as prescribed in the port’s master plan.”