Karpowership is a global power generation company that develops and operates floating power plants, as well as onshore energy projects and related infrastructure.[3][4][5]
The company is the owner, operator, and builder of a fleet of powerships, comprising more than 40 assets and generating power across four continents, with a total installed capacity exceeding 7,000 MW.[6][7]
Karpowership constructs its floating plants at its shipyard Karmarine in Yalova, Türkiye and executes all its activities in-house, including design, construction, site preparation, commissioning, fuel supply and electricity delivery.[8][9]
History
Karpowership serves as the international energy generation brand of Karadeniz Holding, through which the company operates its fleet of floating power plants in various countries.[10][11]
In 2007, Karpowership developed a project named "Power of Friendship", which supplies electricity to shortage-stricken countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.[12]
In December 2008, Karpowership signed a contract with the Ministry of Electricity of Iraq (MoE) to deploy three Powerships of 520 MW in total.[13] In 2010, the first Powership project was launched in Iraq.[14][15] Between 2010 and 2016, Karpowership supplied electricity to Basra through four Powerships in three different locations.[16][17]
In June 2012, Karpowership signed a contract with the Lebanese Electricity Utility (EDL) to deploy two Powerships with almost 400 MW capacity in total.[18] Karpowership was operational in Lebanon and supplied 25% of the country's total electricity demand.[19]
Between 2016 and 2018, the company supplied cross-border power to Zambia via a 110 MW Powership moored at the Port of Nacala in northern Mozambique.[20][21]
Between 2016 and 2021, Karpowership supplied electricity in Indonesia.[22] The company was awarded a 540 MW tender by the state utility PT PLN (Persero) to supply electricity to 5 different islands of the Indonesian Archipelago.[23]
The company entered into African market with a 450 MW project in Ghana in 2014, and continued to grow in Africa with Mozambique, the Gambia, Sierra Leone and Sudan in 2018, Guinea Bissau, Senegal & Guinea Conakry in 2019, Côte D’Ivoire in 2022 and Gabon in 2024.[24][25][26]
Powerships are barge- or ship-mounted floating power plants that can operate on liquid fuels 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.[30][31]
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.[32]
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.[32]
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.[33] 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.[34]
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".[35]
In 2024, Karpowership launched Africa’s first LNG-to-power project in Senegal, supplying gas to a floating power plant via a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).[36][37]
In August 2025, Karpowership, through its subsidiary BKPS, signed an agreement with Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity to provide up to 590 MW of electricity using two powerships stationed at ports in Basra.[38][39]
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.[citation needed]
Ghana
Karpowership signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in June 2014 to supply a total of 450MW of power with two Powerships to the people of Ghana.[40] The first 225MW Powership was delivered in 2015.[41] In 2016, the PPA was consolidated into one single 450MW Powership, and in August 2017, Karpowership deployed a 470MW Powership, the largest in the world, to Ghana. It began operations in September 2017, a month after its arrival.[42]
Brazil
In May 2024, Karpowership signed an agreement with Brazil's state-owned energy company Petrobras to develop natural gas projects in the Americas. The company has been active in Brazil, supplying floating power solutions to support the country's energy infrastructure.[43]
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.[44] Accusations of corruption in the tendering process have led to legal challenges and ongoing judicial inquiry.[45] 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.[46]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.[47]
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.[48]
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.[49]
Lifeships are emergency aidvessels developed by Karadeniz Holding to provide both immediate relief and longer-term support to disaster-affected communities. Each vessel is equipped with facilities for food service, medical care, childcare, and education, with the capacity to support up to 1,500 people.[60]
Following the Türkiye–Syria earthquake on February 6, 2023, Karadeniz Holding deployed the first Lifeship, Süheyla Sultan, to the port city of İskenderun in Hatay Province.[61][62] Over the course of its deployment, the vessel provided shelter and services to approximately 12,000 survivors.[63]
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