DHV developing new harbours in Ghana

Ghanaian President John Kufuor recently gave the starting signal for construction to start at three locations. Construction will take place up to 2014 at a cost of approximately US$150m.For more than 100 years Ghana has been struggling with the question of how to create safe fishing harbours and landing sites along its exposed coastline, and 18 months ago the Ghanaian Ministry of Fisheries commissioned DHV to tackle this challenge.

Ben Reeskamp, DHV’s Director of Ports and Waterways said, ‘Nowadays loading and unloading occurs on the beaches. In the future this will be done on quaywalls in a hygienic environment making international export of fresh fish possible. For the coastal sites, breakwaters will create sheltered harbour areas with easy access. This will thus also increase vastly the safety for the vessels and the fishermen along this exposed coastline.’

Mr Reeskamp added that the new harbours will result in more fish being exported from Ghana, greater employment and more opportunities for a large part of the coastal population.

The plans for the larger harbours include partial land reclamation, breakwaters and quay walls. The designs also comprise various types of buildings plus all the required infrastructure.

Twelve of the new harbours and landing sites are scattered along the coastline while the other two are located inland on Lake Volta. Coastal harbours are going to be built at Axim, Dixcove, Winneba, Senya Beraku, Elmina, James Town, Gomoa Fetteh, Mouree, Mumford, Teshie, Ada and Keta and inland harbours at Abotoase and Dzemeni on the shores of Lake Volta.