The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) joined other stakeholders in the shipping and logistics sector to commemorate the arrival of the CMA CGM SCANDOLA to the port of Tema.
The Director of Operations, Ms. Sylvia Asana Duada Owu, and the Head of Freight and Logistics, Mr. Fred Asiedu-Dartey, represented the GSA at an event held on Wednesday, 24th January 2024 at the Kempinski Ambassador Hotel to mark this significant occasion.
Addressing the stakeholder gathering, Mr. Oussama Yakra, General Manager Cluster Ghana for CMA CGM Group, indicated the CMA CGM SCANDOLA will continue its voyage to Lekki’s new Deep Sea Port in Nigeria before heading to the port of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The vessel’s capacity stands at 15,000-TEU containership ranks among the largest vessels to call in West Africa and marks the CMA CGM Group’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered container ship to dock at a port in Ghana.
Mr. Yakra stated the milestone will contribute to economic growth as more large vessels are expected to call on Ghana’s ports, given its advantageous location and easy connectivity to other continents, thereby enhancing the global supply chain. He added that the CMA CGM SCANDOLA is part of CMA CGM’s West Africa Express (WAX) service, connecting West Africa (Tema, Lekki, Abidjan, Pointe-Noire) directly to China, South-East Asia, and India.
The deployment of the vessel reinforces the group’s commitment to provide its customers with high-capacity vessels and by adding calls at the ports of Tema, Ghana and Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo. The WAX service also includes the new Lekki Freeport Terminal, representing a new generation of multi-user container terminals.
Ghana holds strategic importance for the CMA CGM Group in West Africa underscoring its operations in Ghana for over 17 years and currently maintains two offices in Tema and Accra with over 50 staff members. The Group offers five mainline services calling at the ports of Tema and Takoradi which connects major global destinations with a state-of-the-art intermodal network through CEVA Logistics.
