President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned a US$40 million Goil-SMB Bitumen Plant in Tema, as a landmark achievement for Ghana and the West African region. The plant, which is a joint venture between Ghana's leading petroleum company, GOIL PLC, and Société Multina (SMB) of Cote d'Ivoire, is the largest bitumen processing facility in the country, with a storage capacity of 7,500 metric tons. President Akufo-Addo said this facility symbolised the aspirations and ambitions of Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, and the broader West African region, marking an infrastructure milestone that was transformative and representative of the importance of regional cooperation and industrial growth. He said the plant would reduce Ghana's reliance on imports and enable the country to become a major exporter of bitumen within West Africa. He emphasised the significance of the plant in supporting the government's ongoing road network expansion, noting that his administration had undertaken the most extensive road construct ion in the country's history, with over 12,000 kilometres built since 2017.? 'This plant will fully complement the government's efforts in road construction, providing high-grade bitumen to meet the demands of our infrastructure sector,' he added. The President urged the Minister of Roads and Highways, to ensure that bitumen from the GOIL-SMB plant was used for major road projects to guarantee durability and cost-effectiveness, especially given the superior performance of polymer-modified bitumen in extreme weather conditions. President Akufo-Addo also expressed optimism about the broader economic benefits of the plant, which included job creation, technological advancement, and increased foreign exchange earnings.? He reaffirmed the government's commitment towards providing an enabling environment for industrial ventures and policies that promoted investment in key sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy. He also expressed confidence that both GOIL and SMB would maintain the operationa l excellence required to make the plant a leader in the bitumen production industry. Source: Ghana News Agency