Takoradi Harbour
Encyclopedia
The Takoradi Harbour is in the Western region
of Ghana
. It is the oldest harbour in Ghana. The harbour and the Tema Harbour
are the only harbours in Ghana.
The construction of the port begun in 1921 by then governor of the Gold Coast
, Sir Gordon Guggisberg
and was completed in 1928.
, the capital of Ghana
. The port receives and exports high volumes of cargo. The management of the harbour is the responsibility of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority
.
The harbour serves as the main export port for Ghana. It handles 65% of total export with about 600 vessels visiting it. The main exports from the harbour are
The harbour also serves the international trade purposes of land locked countries in the Sahel
region of Africa
. Some of the countries are Mali
, Burkina Faso
and Niger
. The harbour transits large volumes of cargo for these countries.
and construction of container berths to increase the volume of cargo the harbour could handle. The Authority also constructed a 14-metre high wall around the port. The wall was to improve security and prevent the incidence of stowaways.
Again, in July 2009 the Authority announced a 700 million dollar project to rehabilitate and upgrade the harbour. This was to make the harbour ready for the country’s new oil and gas
industry. The project was to include the reclamation and redevelopment of the old log pond into an oil services facility. The oil service facility was to support the country’s offshore oil production. Other works that were to be included in the project were:
Western Region (Ghana)
The Western Region of Ghana, reaching from the Côte d'Ivoire border in the west to the Central Region in the east, includes the large twin city of Sekondi-Takoradi on the coast, coastal Axim, and a hilly inland area including Elubo. It includes Ghana's southernmost location, Cape Three Points,...
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. It is the oldest harbour in Ghana. The harbour and the Tema Harbour
Tema Harbour
The Tema Harbour is in Tema, Ghana's most industrialized city. The harbour is located in the southeastern part of Ghana, along the Gulf of Guinea...
are the only harbours in Ghana.
History
The idea for the construction of the port was first advocated in 1895 by consulting engineers of the British government. The engineers proposed that the harbour when constructed could serve both as a terminal port for the Tarkwa railway project and a naval port to serve the British empire in war times. The site for the harbour was proposed at the Amanful village which sat in the bay of the harbour today.The construction of the port begun in 1921 by then governor of the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
, Sir Gordon Guggisberg
Gordon Guggisberg
Brigadier-General Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, KCMG, DSO, , soldier and administrator, was born in Galt, Ontario, Canada, a second-generation descendant of an immigrant from Uetendorf, Canton Bern, Switzerland, the eldest son of Frederick Guggisberg, retail-goods merchant, of Galt, by his wife,...
and was completed in 1928.
Trade
The Takoradi harbour is 230 kilometres from AccraAccra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, the capital of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. The port receives and exports high volumes of cargo. The management of the harbour is the responsibility of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority
Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority is the national port authority of Ghana, responsible for the governance, maintenance and operation of the ports of Ghana, principally the Port of Tema, the Fishing Harbour at Tema, and the Port of Takoradi at the twin cities of Sekondi-Takoradi...
.
The harbour serves as the main export port for Ghana. It handles 65% of total export with about 600 vessels visiting it. The main exports from the harbour are
- CocoaCocoaCocoa bean is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted...
- TimberTimberTimber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
- BauxiteBauxiteBauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
- ManganeseManganeseManganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
The harbour also serves the international trade purposes of land locked countries in the Sahel
Sahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
region of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Some of the countries are Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
and Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. The harbour transits large volumes of cargo for these countries.
Trade
The harbour handles 37% Ghana's seabourn traffic and 62% of national exports. It receives 20% all the imports that the country receives.Major works
In July 2004 it was announced that a 250 million dollar modernization project which was to upgrade the harbour was to begin. The project included the dredging of wharfWharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
and construction of container berths to increase the volume of cargo the harbour could handle. The Authority also constructed a 14-metre high wall around the port. The wall was to improve security and prevent the incidence of stowaways.
Again, in July 2009 the Authority announced a 700 million dollar project to rehabilitate and upgrade the harbour. This was to make the harbour ready for the country’s new oil and gas
Oil and gas
Oil and gas are two commonly associated fossil fuels. The phrase may refer to:*Oil and gas field*Oil and gas law in the United States-See also:* Gasoline* Heating oil* Hydrocarbon exploration* Natural gas* Petroleum industry* Petroleum...
industry. The project was to include the reclamation and redevelopment of the old log pond into an oil services facility. The oil service facility was to support the country’s offshore oil production. Other works that were to be included in the project were:
- dredging
- paving works in the harbour
- the construction of quay walls of 500 metres
- construction of cocoa shed outside the harbour premises
- construction of an oil berth of depth 650 metres