2nd powership expected in the country this year
Ghana’s second powership is expected in the country in the second part of this year. The powership, which will generate about 215 megawatts (MW) of power, is said to be 70 per cent complete.
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Speaking to journalists at a training programme to give an update on the power purchase agreement and the operations of the powerships, the Executive Director in charge of Business Development at Karpowership Ghana, Ms Zeynep Harezi, said there would be no delay in the delivery of the second barge.
That, she said, was because all contractual financial closures expected of the government had been fulfilled.
Cheaper alternative
Ms Harezi said Karpowership currently produced the cheapest and most sustainable electricity onto the national grid and said the company would work hard to maintain the status quo.
“This is because our barges are built with engines that can run on both fuel and natural gas. Currently, we are using the cheapest kind of fuel on the international market, which is the HFO number 6,” she said.
She, however, indicated that the company could consider the use of natural gas if it became a cheaper and better option.
Asked if the company would consider selling the barges to Ghana after the contract term of 10 years, Ms Harezi answered in the affirmative, but was quick to add that it would not be in the best interest of Ghana to keep them.
“The cost of operating and maintaining the barges, particularly in terms of spare parts alone, is so high that operating just one or two barges as a country or institution would not be economically viable,” she explained.
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According to her, Karpowership was able to operate the barges effectively because it operated a fleet of barges in different countries, for which reason the company bought spare parts in bulk, making it cheaper to operate.
Ms Harezi was optimistic that by the close of the 10 years, Ghana’s power generation system would have improved, such that it would not require such a medium-term measure.
Responsibility
On corporate social responsibility, the Sales Director of Karpowership, Mr Patrick O'Driscoll, said the company had donated educational materials and supplies to schools in the Tema metropolis.
He said it had also donated 13 water tankers to selected schools, community clinics, police stations and the fishing harbour in the metropolis, among others.
“We have also scheduled meetings with community and traditional leaders in our operational enclave to find out the most appropriate and beneficial areas we could invest in as part of our corporate social responsibility,” he added.
Background
As part of the medium-term measures to address the power generation shortfall in the country, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), in June 2014, signed a power purchase agreement with Karpowership, a Turkish company, to supply 450MW of electricity onto the national grid for a period of 10 years through two 225MW capacity powerships.
The first powership, which arrived in the country in December last year, is currently producing 235MW onto the national grid.