[180719.EN.BIZ] New Mega Container Terminal Is Under Construction at Tema Port, Ghana

MERIDIAN Port Services (MPS) is investing US$1.5 billion to build a new state-of-the-art container terminal at Tema port in Ghana that is expected to turn the port into a regional hub for West and Central Africa.

The facility will have 1,400 metres of new quay wall, a terminal covering 127 hectares of land and four deep-water berths with a draft of up to 16 metres to accommodate containerships with a carrying capacity of up to 20,000 TEU, reported Port Strategy, Fareham, Hampshire, England.

The first two of four new berths opened for commercial vessels at the end of June, which puts the project ahead of schedule for completion in 2020, with ShibataFenderTeam (SFT) delivering the fender systems for the terminal's foundation between March 2018 and autumn 2019.

SFT said the project is special for its size and total fender and bollard quantity alone. SFT delivered 107 SPC 1300 cone fender systems and 144nos. 150t T head bollards. Since the rubber units are standardised in the industry, the main engineering and design challenge lies with the steel panels, chains and the corresponding anchorage.

Only when all components are designed in the correct balance and work together properly, the fender system will perform as expected, according to SFT.

With the advanced design and value engineering of the fender systems, SFT said it was able to find the best technical and most economical solution for Tema port. SFT's optimisation of the fender design resulted in cost savings of several million dollars.

Source : HKSG.