President John Mahama has broken ground for the construction of the 300-metre-long Berth 19 facility at the Takoradi Port, a project expected to expand the port’s capacity to handle larger vessels and increased volumes of cargo.
The $98.41 million project is expected to improve the handling of bulk cargo, particularly mineral ores for export and clinker imported for cement production.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, President Mahama said the expansion has become necessary because of increasing demand and capacity constraints at the port’s dry bulk terminal.
He explained that the facility would allow the port to handle more mineral exports and imported bulk products.
“BERTH-19 is very important,” he said, adding that the project would increase the port’s capacity for bulk cargo handling.
President Mahama said significant investments had been made in expanding the Takoradi Port since 2012, including dredging works to allow larger vessels to dock.
He noted that the port, which was originally established during the colonial era mainly to facilitate the export of commodities such as timber, cocoa, bauxite and manganese, has evolved into both an import and export hub.
The President also disclosed that the construction of the Berth 19 facility is expected to take 26 months, expressing hope that the government would return to commission the project within that period.
The groundbreaking ceremony also marked the commencement of work on a floating dry dock project, which President Mahama said was the first project under Ghana’s Growth Partnership with the United Kingdom.
He described the commencement of the two projects as an important step towards strengthening Ghana’s logistics and transport infrastructure.
“In today’s world, the logistics value chain is very important, so expanding your ports, building your railways, and reconstructing your roads are all things that are necessary to give the economy that oomph so that it can take off,” he said.