THE government of Ghana is preparing for the start of the construction phase of Keta Sea Port project following the completion of related preliminary and preparatory works, according to Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the West African country’s Minister of Transport.
Asiamah made the revelation at a recent stakeholder engagement on the project. He said that, ‘All the behind the scenes activities have been undertaken including the feasibility studies, declaration of the project site as a port zone and the construction of a fully equipped and furnished physical office structure that will serve as a reference point for all developments associated with the Keta Port Project.’
The office is a specially made modular unit where development and planning meetings between Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and its technical partners would take place. It is also going to have an information centre where all information regarding the project would be acquired by all people including the Keta community.
The minister said that discussions critical to the commencement of the project are currently ongoing and at an advanced stage, and that the procurement processes were expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2022.
He also disclosed that the project would be implemented in phases, the first of which will cost about $600 million. Dubbed the ‘Port Nuclues’, this phase will consist of the main facilities that would also be the key drivers of the commercial port.
The facilities include a commercial port gate with the access control and administration building, a multipurpose terminal with a berth of 500metres, and a RoRo Dock, an oil terminal consisting of a tank farm and an oil jetty.
The other facilities are a shipyard with a dedicated basin for floating docks and vessel maintenance, fishing port and related amenities, small craft services, and access roads.