Tema Oil Jetty Now Runs 24-Hour Berthing, NPA Says

The Tema Oil Jetty in Ghana has upgraded its operations to allow vessels to berth and discharge fuel around the clock. The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) led the upgrades, which fixed a bottleneck that previously halted operations by 5pm. The upgrades included improvements to lighting and security arrangements at the site. This change enables ships bringing in Ghana's imported fuel to dock and unload at any hour.

The Ghana Petroleum Mooring Systems Company Limited (GPMS) introduced round-the-clock vessel berthing and unberthing last year. GPMS Operations and Maintenance Manager, Francis Owusu, said the improvements have allowed vessels to arrive and leave at any hour, improving the pace of fuel discharge at the port. The facility now operates on a 24-hour berthing schedule, increasing efficiency and reducing wait times for ships.

The Tema Oil Jetty is a critical facility for Ghana's imported refined petroleum products. The jetty handles the discharge and loading of various products, including crude oil, fuel oil, aviation turbine kerosene, gasoil, gasoline, naphtha, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The nearby Conventional Buoy Mooring (CBM) facility, located 2.7 nautical miles from the Tema Fishing Harbour, keeps vessels stationary using four permanent mooring chains anchored to the seabed.

The NPA, in collaboration with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), led the upgrade process. NPA Chief Executive, Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, said the change addresses a long-standing bottleneck that previously forced ships to queue offshore overnight. The upgrades have improved the efficiency of fuel discharge at the port, reducing congestion and wait times.

Civil society organisations recently visited the company's offshore mooring facilities in Tema, including the Single Point Mooring (SPM), the Conventional Buoy Mooring (CBM), and the oil jetty itself. Kwadwo Opoku, Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Policy and Research, commended the NPA Chief Executive for maintaining an open-door policy, providing stakeholders with deeper insight into operations in the downstream petroleum sector.

The 24-hour berthing arrangement comes amid regular adjustments to fuel pricing in Ghana. The NPA recently revised the price floors governing petroleum product sales at the pump. The changes aim to ensure a stable and efficient fuel supply in the country. The upgrades at the Tema Oil Jetty are expected to have a positive impact on Ghana's fuel supply chain.

The NPA's efforts to improve operations at the Tema Oil Jetty are ongoing. The authority continues to work with stakeholders to ensure a stable and efficient fuel supply in Ghana. The 24-hour berthing schedule is a significant improvement, and the NPA is committed to maintaining transparency and open communication with stakeholders.

Key points

• The Tema Oil Jetty now operates on a 24-hour berthing schedule, allowing vessels to discharge fuel around the clock.