Befesa Desalination Developments Ghana Limited has won two final awards in an international arbitration over the Teshie-Nungua desalination plant.
Kimathi & Partners, Corporate Attorneys, acted as Ghanaian co-counsel to the company, alongside the international law firm Eversheds Sutherland.
The awards were issued on Thursday, September 17, 2026, by a tribunal under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
The tribunal ordered Ghana Water Limited (GWL), named in the awards under its former title of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), to pay US$235 million, net of taxes.
Read also: GWL shuts down Teshie-Nungua desalination plant
The sum arises from the termination of the Water Purchase Agreement, under which the utility bought treated seawater from the plant.
Interest runs on it from Wednesday, April 1, 2026 until payment.
The tribunal also substantially rejected the counterclaims brought against the project company, including a claim of US$144.5 million.
Ghana Water was ordered to contribute to the project company's legal costs.
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The government of Ghana gave a guarantee for the project.
Under that guarantee, the government has also been found liable for the amounts awarded.
The awards do not allow the project company to recover the same amounts twice.
The Teshie-Nungua plant can produce 60,000 cubic metres of water a day.
It was built to serve communities including Teshie, Nungua, Spintex, Baatsona and Sakumono.
The project company is majority owned by the Spanish infrastructure group Cox, which holds a 95 per cent stake.
Cox announced the awards on Monday, September 21, 2026.
Cox has said that the parties are keeping conversations open towards an amicable solution, without prejudice to the project company's rights under the awards.
