Meridian Port Services Ltd (MPS) Terminal 3 at Tema Port celebrated the second call of the upgraded joint service between CMA CGM and Maersk Line, known as the WAX service. This service features 13 vessels with an enhanced capacity of up to 15,000 TEUs deployed on the Asia to West Africa trade route.

The Lady CMA CGM Scandola marks a significant milestone as the first LNG-powered container cargo vessel to arrive in the West Africa region. This achievement follows CMA CGM’s announcement in the last quarter of 2023 that some of its LNG-powered vessels would be deployed on the West Africa trade route. The vessel is environmentally friendly, efficient, and energy-saving, boasting impressive dimensions with a total length of 366 meters and a width of 51.11 meters.

This historic moment aligns with Ghana’s commitment to sustainability, highlighted during the first-ever International Green Shipping Conference in February 2023. Hon. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport, detailed Ghana’s dedication to major decarbonisation efforts, positioning the country for a sustainable future in the maritime sector.

Ghana’s strategic location on the West Coast of Africa, coupled with investments in efficiency and development at Tema Port, set the stage for this groundbreaking moment. Speaking at the MPS Terminal, Hon. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah reiterated the government’s commitment to the Green Shipping Agenda, emphasizing how the arrival of the LNG-powered container cargo vessel aligns with Ghana’s preparations for the Green Shipping revolution.

During the vessel’s visit to Tema Port, Mr. Damien Orhan, Line Manager of Asia-West Africa Lines for CMA CGM, highlighted its role in the West Africa Express (WAX) service, connecting West Africa directly to China, South-East Asia, and India. CMA CGM aims to strengthen the WAX service by supporting customers with high-capacity vessels calling at key ports, with MPS Terminal 3 being the first port of call in West Africa.

Mr. Oussama Yakra, the Cluster Managing Director for CMA CGM, emphasized that the vessel’s arrival was the result of a shared long-term vision by MPS, Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority, CMA CGM, and Tema Port Stakeholders. CMA CGM is committed to improving environmental policies for the ultimate benefit of its customers.

Mr. Mohamed Samara, MPS’ Chief Executive Officer, expressed the MPS terminal’s commitment to environmental and social sustainability. He highlighted MPS’ advanced management system designed to detect, prevent, and minimize emission levels in the port, contributing to cost reduction for shipping and delivery of goods.

MPS Terminal 3 continues its commitment to environmental sustainability, recently commissioning a fleet of 15 electric gantry cranes (3 STS and 12 eRTG) and expanding its terminal’s handling capacity. The berthing window scheme (synchronised preplanned docking vessels on arrival) that is being pioneered by MPS has reduced waiting times for vessels, contributing to reducing the fuel burning for shipping lines, saving the environment, and cutting costs to importers and exporters. “MPS is set on establishing the vital connectivity to the West African trade and industry to thrive which is a huge combined market.” Added Mr. Samara.

The Director of Port for Tema, Mrs. Sandra Opoku, commended the collaboration among stakeholders in elevating the Port of Tema. She praised CMA CGM for delivering on their promise and acknowledged significant investments by Tema Port in upgrading and enlarging the tugboats fleet, expressing appreciation for the collective effort to improve and sustain service levels at Tema Port by both the MPS and GPHA marine teams.

The Lady CMA CGM Scandola arrived at Tema Port with a draft of 16 meters, carrying 9,161 TEUs bound for West Africa, out of which 4,939 TEUs designated for discharge at MPS Terminal 3. The offloaded containers comprised 1,983 TEUs of transshipment for reloading onto feeder vessels to their final destinations at other regional ports. During her stay at MPS Terminal 3, a total of 7,903 TEUs were handled on/off the vessel, including loading 2,954 TEUs of export.

This event marks a new era for the West African Shipping environment, highlighting collaborative actions by maritime stakeholders towards climate change and the global transition to more environmentally friendly fuels. While the infrastructure for producing and distributing Green Methanol is still developing, and availability may be limited compared to more established fuels like LNG, the industry recognizes the importance of the next step – deploying Green Methanol Vessels for potentially lower overall carbon emissions.

GREEN TERMINAL LABEL

In 2020, MPS Terminal 3 became certified as a Green Terminal following an audit conducted by an independent third party, Bureau Veritas. The Green Terminal environmental labelling process is based on more than 250 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) categorized into four levels. MPS became the first container terminal in the Shareholders’ Ports network to obtain the Green Terminal label, achieving the highest score with an 86.58% rating and a two-star designation, the highest rating achieved by all participating ports and terminals.