ATUABO FREE PORT
Strategically located in the Gulf of Guinea , the brand new development will be a dedicated oil and gas free port
Atuabo Free Port is set to provide a major boost to the economy of Ghana , as the $ 700 million facility begins construction next year before becoming operational in 2017 . Having recently completed a number of preliminary activities onsite , the company and China Harbour Engineering Company have signed a construction agreement establishing the latter as the main contractor of the project to build a dedicated three-quay port . It is also estimated that over 1,000 jobs will be created as a direct result of the project .
In terms of maritime activity , there are three clear areas for the impending facility , which will become Ghana ’ s third major port . One is an offshore logistics base where goods are received for the offshore oil and gas industry , collated and marshalled onshore and then shipped offshore to the rigs and other vessels during the exploration , appraisal and field development and production phases .
The second area is value-added work such as subsea fabrication ; this provides the infrastructural platform for companies to do more work in-country which means the company keeps aligned with local content regulations in Ghana . Thirdly , there will be the rig and vessel repair sites where the vessel owners will be able to come in and have their vessels repaired or rigs maintained and repaired by various service companies .
Steven Gray , Director at Atuabo Free Port , said : “ We have a number of companies who ’ ve
86 December 2015