THE Executive Director of Sahara Group, Mr Wale Ajibade, has said that President John Mahama’s vision in the energy sector continues to provide the policy direction and regulatory leadership Ghana needs to strengthen the downstream energy sector.

He was speaking at the commissioning of MT Asharami Ghana, a 40,000-cubic-metre Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessel, in South Korea on Thursday.

Mr Ajibade noted that the President’s vision of making Ghana energy-sufficient aligned with Sahara Group’s investments in the sector.

The Sahara Group Executive Director said the vessel would strengthen Ghana’s clean energy supply chain while advancing the country’s clean cooking and energy access agenda.

According to Mr Ajibade, the vessel reflects Sahara’s long-standing commitment to Ghana and Africa’s clean energy future.

“MT Asharami Ghana is more than a vessel; it is part of a deliberate strategy to strengthen LPG supply security and support Ghana’s clean energy ambitions. It secures an additional 25,000 metric tonnes of stock security for the Ghanaian economy, alongside the soon-to-be-commissioned 6,000-metric-tonne expansion of the 12,000-metric-tonne land storage facility in Tema,” he said.

Mr Ajibade reiterated that through integrated investments across shipping, storage and distribution, Sahara Group was building resilient energy systems that improve lives, protect the environment and support sustainable economic growth.

With the addition of Asharami Ghana, Sahara Group’s LPG carrier fleet now comprises six vessels with a combined capacity of 202,000 cubic metres. Supported by partnerships with WAGL Energy, NNPC Limited and other stakeholders, an additional 270,000 cubic metres of capacity is under construction and due for delivery by September 2028.

Temitope Shonubi, Executive Director of Sahara Group, said Asharami Ghana was part of Sahara’s integrated LPG infrastructure strategy spanning shipping, storage and downstream distribution globally, including the development of a 12,000-metric-tonne LPG storage terminal in Tema.

He thanked the Managing Director of Asharami Ghana, Yaa Serwaa Alifo, for her resilience and insistence on dedicating the huge vessel solely to the Ghanaian market and its landlocked neighbours.

Ghana aims to increase LPG adoption from 30 per cent of households to 50 per cent by 2030. Sahara Group’s investments will help expand access for a population of more than 35 million people, while strengthening Ghana’s role in regional LPG supply to neighbouring countries.