By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Feb. 2, GNA – The Meridian Port Services (MPS) Terminal 3 in Tema Port has received its first call from a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessel barely a week after a 366-metre Maersk vessel visited the port.
The vessel, CMA CGM Scandola Vallette, is a Malta flagged 15,128 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) vessel and one of the 13 vessels of the same class designated for the newly introduced West Africa Express Service (WAX).
The vessel, which berthed at the port as its first call to West Africa, was carrying 9,161 TEUs of goods bound for the region, out of which 4,939 TEUs were scheduled to be discharged in Tema.
Out of the total discharged in Tema, 1,938 TEUs of transshipment boxes were reloaded into feeder vessels for their destination in other ports in West Africa.
Mr. Oussama Yakra, the Cluster Managing Director for Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia at CMA CGM, addressing a delegation led by Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport who visited the berthing site, said “the first port to be called in West Africa is Tema, and it’s not a coincidence.”
Mr. Yakra said the visit was the fruit of a long-term vision that Ghana made several years ago to expand the capacity of the port.
Mr. Mohammed Samara, the Chief Executive Officer of MPS, noted that Tema was gradually living up to its hub port ambition, adding that this would help Ghana achieve its goal of becoming an ideal destination for investments.
He said the West African market is huge, with millions of consumers and producers; therefore, Ghana must have the ability to tap into this kind of global economy by becoming a hub not only for trade but also for industry.
“This is something really interesting that we should actually encourage and pursue; this is the dream for Ghana and the AfCFTA to create interconnectivity within the region and the wider continent in the long run,” he said.
Mrs. Sandra Opoku, the Director of Tema Port, said the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) recognises the efforts shipping lines were making to augment the maritime trade in the region, promising that her outfit would do its best to complement such efforts.
She said they were excited to have one of the biggest ships calling at MPS, especially at a time that the GPHA had augmented its tugboats that could steer in these big vessels.
“Kudos to my marine operations team for making sure that we bring this vessel to berth safely, and this is our commitment to you and to all the other shipping lines that we are ready to serve you,” she said.
Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport, stated that the historic birthing of the vessel in Tema was an indication that Ghana was committed to protecting the environment.
GNA