President Akufo-Addo has commissioned four aluminium offshore security vessels for the Ghana Navy at the Western Naval Command in Sekondi in the Western Region.
They are GNS Volta-P40, GNS Densu- P41, GNS- P42 and GNS Ankobra-P3.
The vessels will provide security and other support to oil and gas activities in the country’s maritime domain.
As part of government’s effort to provide effective security to the offshore oil and gas infrastructure, approval was granted the Ministry of Defence and the Ghana Navy to enter a lease agreement with Isreal Shipyard Limited for the lease of four aluminium offshore security vessels.
Among other purposes, the vessels are to replace previous arrangements of using private vessels manned by naval personnel in providing security and support to oil and gas activities in the country’s maritime domain.
They are fitted with three caterpillar C32 main engines developing 1.450Hp and providing a maximum speed of 28 knots.
The vessels have a range of 2, 800Nm at 25Knots and endurance of 30 days.
The four security vessels are also fitted with external fire fighting monitor with remote clutch and control, all round wheelhouse ballistic protection, 2 x 12.7 mm machine guns mounted forward and aft of each vessel.
Technical specifications of the vessels include a length overall of 40.00m, breadth mould of 7.60m, depth mould of 3.65m, loaded draft of 1.89m, fuel capacity of 86,000ltrs, fresh water tank capacity of 30, 000ltrs and a gross tonnage of 279 metric tonnes.
All four vessels were named after major water bodies in recognition of the vital roles they play in the livelihood of Ghanaians and the economic development thereof.
They were designed and built by the Penguin Shipyard and conform to industry standards, design and performance.
Funding was provided for by the GCB Bank Plc.