Ghana’s second powership to arrive in September

Ghana’s second powership is expected to arrive by September 2016, barring any hitches.

Ms Zeynep Harezi, Executive Director Business Development, for Karpowership Company Ltd told journalists that work on the second powership is 70 per cent complete.

The second powership will have the capacity to produce 225 megawatts of power but could be scaled up to produce up to 450 megawatts.

“The construction of the second power ship is about 70 percent complete and would be delivered on schedule this year in line with the stated contract obligations,” Ms Harezi said.

In June 2014, Karpowership signed a 10-year PPA with Ghana’s Electricity Company of Ghana for the provision of 450MW directly to the country’s national grid via two Power ships.

The project dubbed: “Power of Friendship for Ghana” is the first Powership project in Africa and seeks to meet the electricity demand of Ghana.

The project is expected to account for 22 per cent of the Ghana’s total energy generation.

The first of 225 megawatts was delivered in November 2015.

Ms Harezi said the use of low cost heavy fuel oil was an economical solution to Ghana’s existing electricity supply, which relies on expensive crude oil, allowing a competitively priced tariff and savings to government.

Mr Patrick O’driscoll, Sales Director of Karpowership Company Ltd, said it is not the company’s business proposition to sell its powerships to governments on the expiration of the contract.

He said the company only provides a bridge for government to get its medium to long-term electricity infrastructure in place and then the powerships could be moved to other countries which need to deal with their energy deficit.

Source: GNA