The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has secured environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the proposed Keta Port project, removing a critical regulatory barrier and opening the path to structured investor engagement for what would become Ghana’s third commercial port.
The approval follows the completion of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which was conducted by Coastal and Reclamation Engineering Services Ghana Limited and evaluated the project’s potential ecological, social, and economic effects against national regulatory standards and international best practices.
GPHA Director-General Major General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono described the project as a strategic maritime gateway designed to complement Ghana’s existing ports at Tema and Takoradi, and as a catalyst for trade, regional integration, and community development in the Volta Region and beyond.
With the EIA permit now in hand, the authority is positioned to advance to the next phase, including formal engagement with potential investors and financiers and the structuring of public-private partnership arrangements. Industry observers say the regulatory clearance significantly de-risks the project and strengthens its appeal to institutional investors and development finance partners.
The proposed port aims to create commercial cargo facilities capable of handling containerised shipments, bulk cargo, and oil and gas vessels, with plans for a shipyard facility and a development programme structured in four phases. The first phase carries an estimated cost of $600 million.
President John Dramani Mahama used the 2026 State of the Nation Address, delivered on February 28, to announce that Cabinet had reviewed the feasibility study and designs for the proposed Port of Keta and directed GPHA to submit an action plan and roadmap for its expeditious realisation, signalling the highest level of political commitment to moving the project forward.
From a trade perspective, the project is expected to open new logistics corridors along Ghana’s eastern and Volta Region coast, easing congestion at existing port facilities while creating new access points for exporters, logistics firms, and industrial players. Officials have described the facility as a major logistics and industrial hub that would promote trade with Ghana’s eastern corridor neighbours, boost regional integration, and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
Analysts say the EPA clearance, combined with Cabinet-level backing, positions Keta Port as one of Ghana’s most credible infrastructure pipeline projects, particularly relevant under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework, which is intensifying demand for efficient and competitive maritime logistics across the continent.
Attention is now expected to shift to investment structuring, with GPHA set to engage prospective partners on financing models and feasibility-driven financial commitments to bring the port to construction and eventual operation.
