Ghana has incurred approximately US$46.73 million in demurrage costs in 2026 so far, with the Center for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE) linking the rising expenses to infrastructure limitations and operational inefficiencies in the petroleum discharge chain.
The organisation says the costs highlight the financial consequences of delays in developing alternative mooring facilities to support the country’s petroleum import requirements.
In a statement on Thursday, November 5, 2026, CEMSE disclosed that the petroleum sector recorded cumulative demurrage exposure of approximately US$61.6 million in 2025, compared with a historical annual estimate of about US$35 million.
It further estimated average daily demurrage charges at approximately US$45,000, while costs for the first half of 2025 alone stood at about US$21.6 million.
The organisation said the financial burden had continued into 2026, with approximately US$46.73 million reportedly incurred in demurrage costs year-to-date.
“These figures demonstrate the considerable financial implications of operational inefficiencies within the petroleum import and discharge chain,” CEMSE stated.
According to the organisation, the associated demurrage burden translates into an additional avoidable cost of between GH¢0.47 and GH¢0.60 per litre of petroleum products, representing approximately 2.63% to 3.35% of the retail pump price.
CEMSE argued that consumers could pay less if the cost of discharging petroleum products were reduced through additional infrastructure and improved operational efficiency.
“The implication is that petroleum users would have been paying less and saving at least Ghc0.47 on a liter of petroleum products if the cost of discharging is reduced through additional infrastructure and improved operational efficiency,” it stated.
The organisation acknowledged that demurrage costs could arise from several factors, including vessel scheduling, port congestion, discharge capacity and operational arrangements.
However, it maintained that inadequate diversification of discharge infrastructure remained an important consideration in addressing the problem.
Ghana’s reliance on a single major petroleum discharge facility at Tema, which CEMSE says handles approximately 75% of the country’s petroleum products, was identified as a major operational concern.
The organisation argued that dependence on limited infrastructure increases the risk of vessel congestion, discharge delays, prolonged waiting times and possible disruptions to the timely delivery of petroleum products.
It also pointed to the growth in petroleum product inflows, which increased from 3,528,583 metric tonnes in 2015 to 6,089,046 metric tonnes in 2025, representing an increase of about 73%, without any corresponding expansion in mooring infrastructure.
CEMSE said although other discharge facilities and jetties had been developed over the years and continued to provide supporting services, their availability did not necessarily mean Ghana had sufficient alternative mooring capacity.
It argued that a dedicated alternative facility would provide additional discharge capacity, improve operational flexibility and potentially reduce congestion and prolonged vessel waiting times.
The organisation further warned that the development of an alternative mooring facility should not remain outstanding after more than a decade.
