Port of Tema agrees measures to optimise port calls and reduce emissions
Port of Tema agrees measures to optimise port calls and reduce emissions
Stakeholders at the Port of Tema have agreed on eight practical measures to optimise port call processes and make port operations more predictable. Measures that can be implemented in the short term are expected to reduce vessel idle time by more than one hour, while those requiring a longer implementation period could deliver an additional 1.5 hours in potential savings.
The agreement marks a key milestone in the ongoing collaboration between the Government of Ghana and IMO’s GreenVoyage2050 Programme. It reflects the outcomes of a series of workshops, data analysis and pilot activities involving stakeholders from across the port community.
Port call optimization examines the full sequence of activities from the moment a vessel arrives until it departs. During an initial workshop held in June 2026, stakeholders mapped existing processes and identified where avoidable waiting time occurred.
At the most recent workshop held in August, representatives from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Meridian Port Services (MPS), customs, immigration and port health authorities, agents and shipping lines reviewed the outcomes of the first workshop alongside the results of subsequent data analysis and pilot activities. Drawing on these findings, participants identified eight process improvements, which were presented to senior decision-makers for review and agreement.
The work underlined the importance of a coordinated approach across the port community, as many improvements depend on cooperation between organisations rather than on changes within a single organisation.
Tebon Zumah, Director of Ports at GPHA underscored the importance of embracing the transition towards green energy, stressing that no stakeholder should be left behind. He noted that greater efficiency would be critical to keeping industry players competitive and sustainable. He further stressed on the need to apply the Just-In-Time sailing measures to the rest of the terminals at the Tema Port and to the Takoradi Port as well.
Putting agreed measures into practice
The eight agreed measures concern the way activities of involved parties are organised around the port call process. They include carrying out activities in parallel where possible, improving the timely exchange of information, and better aligning services with operational requirements. Through the electronic exchange of required information via a Maritime Single Window, formalities can be completed and processed in advance, further reducing delays and improving the predictability of port operations.
Responsibility for following up on each measure has been assigned to designated individuals and organisations. Stakeholders have also committed to periodic check-ins to review progress, address implementation challenges and help ensure that all parties remain on track.
Mohamed Samara, CEO of MPS, underlined the operational and sustainability benefits of reducing vessel idle time: “Reducing vessel idle time will improve the predictability and efficiency of terminal operations, allowing resources and marine services to be coordinated more effectively throughout the port call. For MPS, this means a more reliable operation and better use of available capacity, while supporting our broader ambition to make port operations increasingly efficient and sustainable.”
Creating the conditions for Just-In-Time sailing
Reducing idle time at berth is one part of Tema’s wider objective. More predictable arrival and departure processes can also provide vessels with greater certainty about when port services and berth capacity will be available.
This predictability is an important condition for Just-In-Time sailing. With more reliable information about when a vessel is required in port, ships can adjust their sailing speed instead of arriving early and waiting. This can reduce fuel consumption and, as a result, greenhouse gas emissions.
The port call optimization work is supported by the Low Carbon Global Industry Alliance (Low Carbon GIA). It forms part of the wider GreenVoyage2050 programme of actions supporting Ghana’s maritime decarbonisation priorities in line with the IMO GHG Strategy.
About GreenVoyage2050
GreenVoyage2050 is the International Maritime Organization’s flagship technical cooperation programme supporting developing countries in turning the ambitions of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy into practical action. Now in its second phase (2024–2030), the programme supports countries through technical assistance, policy development, capacity-building and pilot initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and advancing maritime decarbonisation. GreenVoyage2050 is funded by the Governments of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, with additional financial support provided through the International Maritime Organization’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP).
