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Karpowership

Karpowership
Company typePrivate
IndustryEnergy, Powership
HeadquartersIstanbul, Turkey
Area served
Worldwide
ParentKaradeniz Holding
Websitewww.karpowership.com

Karpowership is a Turkish builder, operator, and owner of a fleet of powerships. Since 2010, 36 powerships have been completed with their total installed capacity exceeding 6,000 MW and further capacity under construction (or scheduled).[1]

Karpowership executes all its activities in-house, including design, construction, site preparation, commissioning, fuel supply and electricity delivery.

Powership

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MV Karadeniz Powership Doğan Bey in Freetown, Sierra Leone (2024)

Powerships are barge- or ship-mounted floating power plants, and they can operate on heavy fuel oil (HFO), diesel fuel, and/or natural gas. Karpowership's powerships are available under electricity-generation services contracts, power-rental contracts, energy-conversion works contracts or power-purchase agreements.[2][3]

In 2007, Karpowership developed a project named "Power of Friendship", which supplies electricity to shortage-stricken countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.[4]

The freighter Melpomeni was acquired in 2009 by Karpowership with the purpose to turn her into a floating power plant sailing under the Liberian flag. She was renamed Karadeniz Powership Doğan Bey after Nuri Doğan Karadeniz, the COO of the company.[5]

In May 2009, the Sedef Shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul, was commissioned with the task to convert a cargo ship into a Powership by installing the needed engine generators, transformers, and the electric switchboards on board.[5]

Karadeniz Powership Doğan Bey is the first of its kind, a Powership with dual-fuel diesel engines capable of operating on natural gas as well.[6] Aboard the vessel, twelve 10.53 MW generator units are installed. Three units are present in each one of the ship's four holds, with the fans and funnels being mounted on deck.[7]

Bureau Veritas, an international certification agency with experience in overseeing both shipbuilding and power plant development, classified the vessel following its conversion as a "special service-floating power plant".[8]

In 2024, Karpowership launched Africa’s first LNG-to-power project in Senegal, supplying gas to a floating power plant via a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).[9][10]

Operations

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Karpowership has offices and is operational in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Karpowership's International Projects operate out of Istanbul, from where they can supply floating power plants to overseas locations.[citation needed]

Ships

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Name IMO Converted Class MW(E) Location Previous Ref
Karadeniz Powership Doğan Bey 8117031 2010 126 Sierra Leone Basra, Iraq [11]
Karadeniz Powership Rauf Bey 7925522 2010 179 Sudan Basra, Iraq [12]
Karadeniz Powership Kaya Bey 7925546 2011 216 Pakistan Basra, Iraq [13][14]
Karadeniz Powership Alican Bey 2011 104 Pakistan
Karadeniz Powership İrem Sultan 8222252 2012 Shark 114 Nacala, Mozambique Basra, Iraq [15]
Karadeniz Powership Fatmagül Sultan 2013 Orca 202 Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire Beirut, Lebanon
Karadeniz Powership Orhan Bey 7942582 2013 Orca 202 Beirut, Lebanon
Karadeniz Powership Esra Sultan 9116967 2015 235 Beirut, Lebanon Tema, Ghana [16][17]
Karadeniz Powership Zeynep Sultan 8116051 2015 Shark 125 Amurang, Indonesia
Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan 9189158 2016 Khan 470 Tema, Ghana
Karadeniz Powership Onur Sultan 9248514 2016 Khan 470 Belawan, Indonesia
Karadeniz Powership Gökhan Bey 9214563 2016 Shark 125 Kupang, Indonesia
Karadeniz Powership Yasin Bey 9214551 2016 Shark 125 Ambon, Indonesia
Karadeniz Powership Mehmet Bey 9232785 2018 Shark 126 XXXX, Indonesia
Karadeniz Powership Nezih Bey 9034781 2018 37 Ambon, Indonesia
Karadeniz Powership Koray Bey 9086203 2018 36 Gambia
Karadeniz Powership Barış Bey 9166546 2019 Seal 36 Cuba [18]
Karadeniz Powership İbrahim Bey 9216638 Shark
Karadeniz Powership Orka Sultan Khan
Karadeniz Powership Orhan Ali Khan 9248514 Khan
Karadeniz Powership Ayşegül Sultan Orca 235 Dakar, Senegal Ghana, Lebanon
Karadeniz Powership Filiz Sultan Mermaid

South Africa

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In April 2021, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy in South Africa entered into a 20-year power supply agreement with Karpowership to address the ongoing energy crisis.[19] Accusations of corruption in the tendering process have led to legal challenges and ongoing judicial inquiry.[20] On 1 August 2022, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment denied the appeal by the South African subsidiary to continue their project to deploy three ships with a total capacity of 1220 MW due to lack of consultation, unconvincing environmental reports and "questioned the need and desirability of the proposed project". The minister has allowed the company 180 days to address gaps and defects in their submission for reconsideration.[21] Minister of Electricity sought to decrease the 20-year contract to a 5-year one as it was revealed heavy fuel oil was also to be used.[22]

In 2023, Karpowership bought and gifted a game farm to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in exchange for not objecting to mooring a 450 MW ship-mounted power plant at Richards Bay Harbour.[23]

On 26 February 2023, as one of the last acts as Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula granted Karpowership a Section 79 permit; one of two outstanding permits. This came after Karpowership parent company, Karadeniz, broke off an existing agreement with a BEE company and signed a secret MOU to partner with Anna Mokgokong in an attempt to acquire the Section 79 permit. Mokgokong's company Tamasa Investment Holdings was to also build an onshore regasification terminal at the Port of Ngqura and required the Section 79 permit.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "About Us". Karpowership. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2016-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Power ships: a real solution to South Africa's short-term energy needs - EE Publishers". EE Publishers. 2015-04-20. Archived from the original on 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  4. ^ "Of Floating Power Barges and Ships". POWER Magazine. 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  5. ^ a b "Türkiye'den Irak'a "yüzer elektrik santrali"". MÝLLÝYET HABER - TÜRKÝYE'NÝN HABER SÝTESÝ. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  6. ^ "Nyheder - Metal Supply DK". www.metal-supply.dk. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  7. ^ "Inchcape Shipping Services - News". Archived from the original on 2016-06-25. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  8. ^ "Malta Maritime Directory :: Bureau Veritas classes powerships". www.maritimedirectory.com.mt. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  9. ^ Hine, Lucy (2025-05-12). "Senegal finally receives first LNG cargo for FSRU as power plant switches to gas". tradewindsnews.com. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  10. ^ Nikše, Dragana (2025-07-16). "Four years in the making: Africa's first LNG-to-power project up and running off Senegal". Offshore Energy. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  11. ^ Germany, vesseltracker.com GmbH, Hamburg. "Kpsdoganbey - Type of ship: Cargo Ship - Callsign: A8TB7 - vesseltracker.com". www.vesseltracker.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Germany, vesseltracker.com GmbH, Hamburg. "photo of the "Karadeniz Ps Raufbey" by Chiefe - vesseltracker.com". www.vesseltracker.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Germany, vesseltracker.com GmbH, Hamburg. "Kps Kaya Bey - Type of ship: Other Ship - Callsign: TCZP4 - vesseltracker.com". www.vesseltracker.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Pakistan to plug into the world's largest floating power station". the Guardian. Associated Press. 2010-11-19. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  15. ^ "Turkish 'powership' docks in Nacala to generate 114 MW for Zambia - Zitamar". Zitamar. 2016-02-19. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  16. ^ Adjorlolo, Ruth Abla. "1.8407975". gbcghana.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-31. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  17. ^ "Yüzen santraller Ayşegül Sultan Gana'ya, Zeynep Sultan Endonezya'ya uğurlandı". Deniz Haber. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  18. ^ "Sailing to Cuba Comes Power Plant Manufactured in Turkey". plenglish.com. Prensa Latina. 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  19. ^ Cronje, Jan (20 April 2021). "Energy Department says 20-year contracts for floating powerships will keep prices down". News24. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  20. ^ Smith, Carin (9 September 2021). "DNG granted postponement in Karpowership case - judge 'between rock and hard place'". News24. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  21. ^ Creecy shoots down Karpowership appeal but extends a lifeline to the project
  22. ^ Nyathi, Mandisa (2023-06-06). "Karpowership: Contract to be negotiated amid heavy fuel oil fears". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  23. ^ "Karpowership to donate game farm for gas plant approval".
  24. ^ Comrie, Susan (2023-10-06). "Karpowership: failed interdict unearths 'State Capture on steroids' agreement". amaBhungane. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
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