The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority GPHA has rejected claims that congestion at the Tema Port alone is responsible for recent increases in cement prices.
The Authority said several operational and commercial factors, including vessel planning, cargo discharge, trucking capacity, factory locations and other logistics costs, influenced the final cost of importing clinker and cement.
The GPHA’s position followed a statement by the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers, Ghana COCMAG, which attributed recent increases in cement prices partly to congestion at the Tema Port.
In a statement signed by its Management, the GPHA said it had a responsibility to serve all port users while ensuring that port operations met required safety, hygiene and environmental standards.
It explained that food-related cargo such as rice and wheat had to be handled separately from cement and clinker to prevent contamination, a requirement that affected the allocation and use of berths.
The Authority said it had anticipated increasing vessel sizes, cargo volumes and vessel drafts and had consequently undertaken strategic dredging of the bulk cargo section of the Tema Port.
It said cement companies were informed ahead of the project about its duration and the need to plan vessel arrivals and berthing schedules accordingly.
The GPHA said the cement industry was a direct beneficiary of the completed dredging, with Berth 13 now offering depths of up to 14 metres and Berth 14 up to 12 metres.
The increased depths, it said, enabled cement manufacturers to receive larger vessels and potentially benefit from economies of scale, which could help lower logistics costs per unit.
The GPHA said Terminals 1 and 2 at Tema were multipurpose facilities handling different categories of cargo, including food products, steel and general cargo.
“For hygiene, safety and environmental reasons, the handling of cement and clinker cannot be mingled with food-related cargo,” it said.
It explained that Berths 3, 12, 13 and 14 had therefore been designated as common-user berths for cement and clinker cargoes.
The berths, it said, were shared among several cement companies and could not be reserved exclusively for a particular importer.
The Authority also pointed to the Port of Takoradi as an alternative facility for handling cement and clinker-related cargoes.
It urged cement manufacturers to assess the most efficient combination of ports, vessel sizes, discharge arrangements and inland transportation when planning their import operations.
The GPHA identified cargo evacuation as another important factor affecting port congestion and vessel turnaround times.
It explained that a vessel carrying about 40,000 tonnes of clinker could rely on a limited number of trucks to move the cargo from the port to factories located outside the port area.
Where trucks were insufficient or were delayed by traffic, the discharge of cargo could slow considerably, causing vessels to occupy berths for extended periods.
The Authority said vessels could sometimes remain at berth for three to four weeks under such circumstances, reducing berth availability for other vessels and increasing pressure on port operations.
It therefore stressed that efficient cargo evacuation was critical to improving berth utilisation and reducing congestion.
The GPHA said it was also taking steps to modernise the handling of cement and clinker at Tema Port.
It said it was moving towards more efficient cargo-handling systems that would gradually reduce reliance on traditional grabs and hoppers.
The Authority urged cement manufacturers to embrace and invest in the new technologies as they were introduced.
According to the GPHA, improved handling systems would increase discharge rates, reduce vessel turnaround times and optimise berth utilisation, thereby contributing to a more efficient and competitive port.
The Authority said port efficiency was a shared responsibility requiring proper vessel planning, adequate trucking capacity, efficient cargo discharge, modern handling technology and timely evacuation.
It therefore urged stakeholders and the public to consider the entire cement import and distribution chain when assessing price increases, rather than attributing them solely to congestion at the Tema Port.
The GPHA reaffirmed its commitment to working with cement manufacturers and other stakeholders to improve berth utilisation, cargo evacuation and the overall efficiency of Ghana’s ports.
