Karpowership to expand in Africa despite South African setback

Karpowership, a Turkish maker of floating electricity plants, is planning to expand in Africa and almost double its power capacity in the next five years. 

Zeynep Harezi, the chief commercial officer of Karpowership, said the company currently operates in eight African countries and plans to increase its presence in 15 more, including Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and Angola. 

“In a very short time, the construction process of our ships being produced in Turkish shipyards will be completed, and we will be able to offer faster solutions to countries needing electricity,” she said in an interview. 

Karpowership has 36 ships with an installed capacity of 6,000 MW and an active construction pipeline. In three to five years, the company plans to have a 10,000 MW capacity with 50 ships, Harezi said.

She added that the company is increasing its investment in solar power. 

Karpowership, which started in 1998, has grown rapidly in Africa, where countries need sustainable and reliable power. Still, the expansion hasn’t been without setbacks. 

Earlier this month, Eskom said it would end grid access for Karpowership because it didn’t meet a Dec. 31 deadline to complete the financial arrangement. 

Disputes over the energy bills of some cash-strapped African countries have been another roadblock. Last year, Karpowership temporarily cut off its electricity supply to Guinea-Bissau over an unpaid $15 million bill, and Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, also faced power cuts.