Implementing the agreement with the Ministry of Energy and the Lebanese Government, Karadeniz Powership Fatmagül Sultan, a powership part of Turkey based Karadeniz Holding's fleet sails off to the Lebanese coasts today (Friday, 8th of February 2013). The launch of the new ship was celebrated in a special ceremony in its home country.
The Turkish holding has developed a unique and innovative response to support Lebanon and other countries in the region to come to the power needs of their populations. Under the agreement sealed with the Lebanese government, on July 13th, 2012, Karadeniz Powerships will generate 270MW of electricity, nurturing the Lebanese power grid for three years. Karadeniz Powership Fatmagül Sultan, which is the first of two planned Powerships to start production in the first half of 2013, will supply Lebanon's electricity grids with a capacity of 205 MW.
In his note during the launch ceremony of the departing ship, Mr. Orhan Karadeniz, CEO of Karadeniz Holding said: "We aim now to assist Lebanon, which is one of the most important countries in our region. In the next few years, power will be provided through our ships to resolve Lebanon's regular electricity outages, enabling the Lebanese government to maintain a continuous power supply, while the existing plants are being repaired and renovated. Our second powership, to take part of the Lebanon project, will be completed within the coming months and will be also ready to leverage support for Lebanon's power needs."
Karadeniz powerships, which are able to operate on both liquid fuels as well as natural gas, deliver a continuous and reliable power supply to the national grid system ensuring supply to all regions, not only the area in which they are stationed. Utilizing the latest technology and design within the field of energy efficiency, the powerships are built with precision and are environmentally friendly.
Due to huge energy and power demand, Lebanon has experienced major challenges in coping efficiently with the electricity needs of its populace thus witnessing continual power outages. The Lebanese government has opted for the powership project as the most practical and rapid solution, both technologically and economically.
The Karadeniz Powership Fatmagül Sultan, which has a production capacity of 205 MW of electricity, will be operated in Lebanon by a sixty-member team of specialists. The Powership is 132 meters long, 42 meters wide, 55 meters in height. It will include 11 electricity-generating engines, 4 high voltage transformers, and equipment able to produce electricity from waste, as well as onboard fuel tanks which allows for continuous power production. The Powership will berth in the newly built special wave breaker in front of the Zouk Power Plant. Whilst undertaking the final preparations of the Powership at the shipyard in Istanbul, Karadeniz has in respect of site preparation also completed the construction of the extended wave breaker, transmission towers and several ancillary shore facilities to be handed over to EDL for its operations.
