Ghana’s efforts to strengthen the supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) have received a boost following the arrival of MT Asharami Ghana, a 40,000-cubic-metre LPG carrier that delivered about 5,000 tonnes of LPG to the country on its maiden voyage.
The vessel’s arrival was marked by a ceremony at the Tema Oil Jetty last Tuesday, as part of Sahara Group’s broader investment in LPG shipping, storage and distribution infrastructure aimed at improving supply reliability and supporting the country's transition towards cleaner cooking fuels.
The event brought together key players in the country’s energy sector, including the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, and the Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe.
Some executives of Sahara Group, including two Executive Directors of Sahara Group, Wale Ajibade and Adedeji Odunsi; the Managing Director of Asharami Ghana, Yaa Serwaa Alifo, and other industry stakeholders also attended the ceremony.
Context
The development comes as the country seeks to expand access to LPG as part of efforts to promote cleaner cooking and reduce reliance on traditional cooking fuels such as charcoal and firewood.
The addition of dedicated LPG shipping capacity gives the country another asset within the physical supply chain through which the product can be brought into the country and distributed to households and businesses.
The government has set a target of increasing the population’s access to LPG to 50 per cent by 2030, making investments in the infrastructure required to import, receive, store and distribute LPG increasingly important.
The NPA said in 2024 that imported LPG accounted for about 70 per cent of monthly consumption, with the Ghana National Gas Company supplying the remaining 30 per cent.
Significance
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Jinapor said the arrival of the vessel represented an important step towards expanding access to cleaner energy solutions.
The MT Asharami Ghana vessel
He said the government could not achieve its energy-transition objectives alone and stressed the importance of collaboration with private-sector investors in strengthening energy security and supporting sustainable development.
“We commend Sahara Group for standing shoulder to shoulder with Ghana over the years in supporting our aspirations for energy security, economic growth and sustainable development,” Dr Jinapor said.
The government has increasingly positioned LPG as part of its clean-cooking and energy-transition agenda, with greater adoption expected to reduce dependence on traditional fuels and improve household energy choices.
Dr Jinapor said investments in infrastructure such as the MT Asharami Ghana were necessary to support that ambition.
For his part, Mr Ajibade said the maiden voyage demonstrated the company's commitment to expanding access to cleaner energy and strengthening Ghana’s energy security.
The Executive Director of Sahara Group also acknowledged the role of the NPA and its CEO in supporting the process that led to the vessel’s arrival.
Mr Ajibade said the vessel's maiden shipment was only the beginning of a broader effort to strengthen LPG availability in Ghana.
For her part, Mrs Alifo said the arrival of the vessel represented the culmination of a long-term investment vision and would help improve access to LPG for households and businesses.
“What we are celebrating here is the culmination of a vision and a bold statement of our commitment to Ghana’s energy future,” the Managing Director of Asharami Ghana said.
