Page 12 - DMEA Week 06 2021

DMEA PETROCHEMICALS DMEA

Ghanaian government seeks local

feedback on petroleum hub plans

GHANA THE government of Ghana has begun seek- was led by LUSPA CEO Lawrence Dakurah, who
ing input from local stakeholders for its plan to said that Accra was trying to ensure that all par-
The government of establish an oil industry hub in Bonyere, a coastal ties benefited from the scheme.
Ghana has begun town near the border with Côte d’Ivoire. At the meeting, a key tribal leader – Awu-
seeking input from Officials in Accra have said they hope to build lae Annor Adjei III, the paramount chief of
local stakeholders for this hub on a 20,000-acre (80.93-square km) site Western Nzema Traditional Area – endorsed
its plan to establish in the Jomoro municipal district, which lies the government’s plan. He also pledged to
an oil industry hub in within the country’s Western region. The com- make land available for the hub and urged
Bonyere, a coastal town plex will be home to multiple facilities, including Ghanaian authorities to fast-track the pro-
near the border with a 350,000 barrel per day (bpd) oil refinery, a pet- cesses of acquiring real estate and compen-
Côte d’Ivoire. rochemical plant and storage depots capable of sating the parties that will be affected by the
holding 1mn barrels of crude oil and petroleum project.
products, as well as marine jetties and berths that Another attendee – Ernest Kofie, the CEO of
can handle very large crude carriers (VLCCs and the Jomoro municipal district – said he expected
ultra-large crude carriers (ULCCs) travelling the project to benefit the local economy by
along the West African coast. attracting additional investment. Kofie also
The government has estimated the total cost speculated, though, that it would draw migrant
of the project, which falls within the framework workers looking for jobs. As such, he said, the
of a wider effort to improve and transform the municipal assembly is working to improve
country’s economy, at around $60bn. It has also social infrastructure in order to accommodate
said that the hub may generate $1.56bn per year the influx.
in export tax revenue and create as many as Members of Ghana’s Parliament approved
780,000 jobs. Under Ghanaian law, though, the plans for the establishment of the petroleum
government cannot launch work on the scheme hub in late October of last year. Shortly thereaf-
until it consults with shareholders in the region, ter, the Energy Ministry said it had shortlisted
which includes the Western Nzema Traditional three bidders for the contract to build the facility.
Area. It did not name any of the bidders but said that
Accordingly, Ghana’s Land Use and Spatial one of the shortlisted firms had pledged to spend
Planning Authority (LUSPA) held a consultative up to $15bn on the construction of new storage
meeting in the district last week. The gathering depots. ™

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 06 11•February•2021