Ghana acquires €9.2m new harbour cranes to facilitate cargo clearing

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA ) has taken delivery of two new mobile harbour cranes valued at 9.2 million euros  to facilitate the clearing and discharge of cargo at the Tema Port.

Two more cranes are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2014.

Already, the authority has four cranes working but the volume of cargo at the port has made the four inadequate.

In an interview, the Marketing and Public Relations Officer of the GPHA, Mr Paul Asare Ansah, said the delivery of additional cranes would help shorten waiting time for vessels and enhance the efficiency of the operations at the port.

With such an improvement, GPHA expects to increase its cargo tonnage from 830,000 to one million tonnes. The authority has projected to receive and discharge about two million containers in 2015.

Expansion works

Currently, the authority is gearing up for a major expansion of the port. The expansion involves dredging, reclamation of land from the sea, construction of terminals for cargo and also sea passengers.

Other works are the extension the of  the breakwater, oil rig, roads and flyover on the Sakumono lagoon.

Mr Asare Ansah said very soon, bids would be opened for those interested in contracts under the expansion programme to compete the various aspects of the project.

He said with the delivery of the cranes, there was every indication that there would be a number of changes in the operations of the Tema Port to serve the public better.

Mr Asare Ansah said the law  regulating the operations of the port authority would be reviewed to take account of the emerging trends in port administration.

He was optimistic that a well-co-ordinated enforcement of laws and regulations at the port would help curtail delays at the port.

Source: Daily Graphic