The Ghana Water Justice Network (GWJN), a coalition of civil society groups, has warned that households could end up paying for the Teshie-Nungua desalination plant through higher water tariffs, after an arbitration award of about US$235 million against Ghana.
According to the coalition, an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal on 17 September 2026 ordered Ghana to pay about US$235 million to Befesa Desalination Development Ghana Limited and Standard Bank of South Africa after the Water Purchase Agreement with Ghana Water was terminated. A separate US$402 million claim for unpaid charges was dismissed.
Ghana is liable for the award under a state guarantee, the group said.
GWJN said the plant supplied 15.74 million cubic metres of water against a contracted 21.9 million cubic metres, or about 72% of the agreed volume.
Government support to Ghana Water for the project reached US$57.38 million between 2020 and 2024, with US$9.77 million still outstanding at the end of 2024, the coalition said. Approved tax exemptions totalled US$72.83 million, of which US$31.55 million, or 43%, had been used.
The government is negotiating to buy the facility to restore water supply to eastern Accra. "Flawed contracts must not be passed on to households through higher water tariffs," GWJN said. It called for independent assessments of the plant's condition, repair costs, performance and value to be published before any deal is concluded.
The statement was read by Geoffrey Kabutey Ocansey, Executive Director of Revenue Mobilisation Africa, one of the coalition's members.
The government has not said what price it is negotiating for the plant or how the award will be paid. The figures above are the coalition's and have not been confirmed by the Ministry of Finance or Ghana Water.