AG responds to $235m Teshie desalination award, says tribunal rejected $402m claim

The Office of the Attorney-General has responded to the US$235 million arbitration award against Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) over the Teshie Desalination Plant, saying the tribunal rejected a separate US$402 million claim for alleged unpaid water charges. In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, the Attorney-General said the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal found that Befesa Desalination Developments Ghana Ltd had validly terminated its Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) with Ghana Water and was entitled to contractual termination payments. The award, issued in ICC Case No. 29029/CPB, followed arbitration proceedings initiated by Befesa and Standard Bank of South Africa Limited against Ghana Water on October 23, 2024.

The tribunal dismissed the claim for approximately US$402 million in unpaid charges, ruling that it could not be recovered alongside the termination payments. Read Also: Ghana Water ordered to pay $235m over Teshie desalination plant dispute “The Tribunal held that Claim 1 and Claim 2 could not be recovered cumulatively,” the statement said. It added that the tribunal awarded the claimants US$235 million, net of taxes, in termination payments, including pre-award interest calculated to March 31, 2026. Further interest on the debt component will accrue from April 1, 2026. The Attorney-General said the award represented 58. 4% of the monetary claim, using the US$402 million claim as the benchmark. The tribunal consequently ordered reimbursement of 58. 4% of the claimants’ reasonable defence and representation costs. A parallel arbitration, ICC Case No. 29030/CPB, was brought by Befesa against the Republic of Ghana under the state guarantee. The Attorney-General said the tribunal’s award in that case substantially followed the…