Karpowership

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).

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

Powership
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.

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

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.

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.

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. 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.

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".

Operations
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.

Corruption allegations
Karpowership and its parent company Karadeniz have faced corruption allegations in several countries. In Lebanon, Karadeniz is accused of corruption and faces a potential $25-million fine.

In Pakistan, a Karadeniz subsidiary allegedly paid middlemen to secure a $565 million government contract. The Supreme Court voided the contract in 2012 and launched a corruption investigation. It was resolved in 2019 through political negotiations between Pakistan and Turkey.

South Africa
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. Accusations of corruption in the tendering process have led to legal challenges and ongoing judicial inquiry. 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. 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.

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.

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.