Maersk Mulls Port of Tema Expansion
Maersk Group is committed to support the expansion of the Port of Tema to the tune of US $1.5 billion, says Nils Smedegaard Andersen, Chief Executive Officer of Maersk Group.
Maersk will also contribute its quota in the US$6 billion oil exploration work to be undertaken by Italian firm Eni Exploration in Ghana.
Nils called on the President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama to extend the group's support to expand the Port of Tema to nearly four times its existing capacity in addition to increasing current road infrastructure including the development of the motorway to a 6-lane.
The CEO of Maersk Group said that the funding arrangements for the expected largest port expansion project on the continent is already in place and only waiting for the concession agreement between Meridian Port Services (MPS) which Maersk is a key partner and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to be sealed as the Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties was signed in November 2014.
Nils Andersen also used his trip to express Maersk’s commitment to support the Italian energy firm Eni Exploration who was given the green light to develop gas resources in the Offshore Cape Three Points block by supplying its drilling rig.
Eni is expected to begin production in 2017 to boost oil and gas production with about 6 billion US dollar offshore project which must now be approved by Ghana’s parliament.
He said Maersk is exploring investment opportunities in the oil and gas sector in Ghana. “First and foremost, we will be going in on the service sector and we are bringing in our drill ship worth about $700,000 million dollars and supply vessels and thugs and so we are ready to do business in Ghana.