Business News of Saturday, 16 December 2017
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2017-12-16
Joseph Cudjoe, (in smock), Deputy Minister of Energy pressing a control button to start operation
The second Karpowership from Turkey with the capacity to supply 470 megawatts (MW) of power has been inaugurated.
The powership will supply uninterrupted and reliable electricity at one of the lowest cost to Ghana.
Christened Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan, the facility is twice the size of the earlier barge which arrived in Ghana in 2015.
With the inauguration of the second powership, the earlier power barge which arrived in Ghana in 2015 with the capacity of generating 225 megawatts will be decommissioned and sent to Turkey.
The new powership will be relocated in the Western Region to make use of the natural gas infrastructure to power the ship and ensure constant supply of electricity.
The inauguration of the new power barge was in fulfilment of a power purchase agreement between Karpowership Ghana Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) which requires the energy company to provide 450MW to feed the national grid for 10 years.
With the arrival and operation of the 470MW Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan, the Kapowership Ghana Company Limited has fulfilled its obligations to the ECG.
Contracts
Speaking at the ceremony in Tema yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of Karpowership, Mr Orhan Remzi Karadeniz said Karpowership’s presence in the country was in complete fulfilment of the contractual obligations for providing 450 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
He said Karpowership had successfully completed all requisite works and operational tests and had been supplying electricity to the national grid since October this year.
Mr Karadeniz highlighted the company’s commitment to powering the world.
“At Karpowership, we have invested in technology and innovation to ensure continuity of our ventures that indirectly demonstrate Turkey’s affinity for growth and development. Today, Turkey exports its value-added products and services in the energy, technology and entrepreneurship sectors.
“Karpowership has crossed seas and offered the hand of friendship to supply electricity to many countries around the world that are in need of this basic necessity.”
Fulfilling promises
The Country Manager of Karpower Ghana Company Limited, Mr Volkan Buyukbicer said since its inception, the company had kept its promise of providing electricity to its clientele.
“As a company, we have not just provided electricity for the country; we have impacted several lives within the community. We have engaged in some major projects as a way of giving back to the community we operate in. In all of these, we strive for one thing: The Power of Friendship. This has been our driving force these past years”
Reliable power
The Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Joseph Cudjoe, said the addition to the installed capacity would go a long way to help the government towards achieving its objectives of ensuring adequate, reliable and affordable energy for both domestic and commercial purposes
He said the arrival of the powership would complement government’s efforts to end completely the load shedding exercise witnessed in the country in the recent past.
