Ghana incurs US$46.73 million in fuel import demurrage in 2026

Ghana has incurred an estimated US$46.73 million in demurrage charges on petroleum imports so far in 2026, according to the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE). These delays in discharging imported products could add between 0.47 and 0.60 Ghana cedis to the price of every litre of fuel sold at the pump.

CEMSE attributes the rising costs to Ghana’s heavy reliance on a single major petroleum discharge facility at the Tema Port, which handles approximately 75 percent of petroleum products. This concentration has led to vessel congestion and prolonged waiting times. While petroleum product inflows rose by approximately 73 percent between 2015 and 2025, discharge infrastructure has remained stagnant.

The think tank noted that in 2025, the sector faced US$61.6 million in demurrage exposure, significantly higher than the historical annual estimate of US$35 million. CEMSE also raised concerns regarding a reported 15-year exclusivity arrangement granted to a South African entity in 2015, suggesting it may have discouraged investment in competing facilities. The organization has called on the government to review this arrangement and establish a framework to attract private investment in alternative mooring infrastructure.