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Karpowership Ghana has organised an educational tour for selected journalists to familiarise them with the operations of its power ship as part of efforts to deepen media understanding of its role in the country’s energy mix.
The journalists, drawn from various media houses, were taken through key sections of the approximately 300-meter-long 50-meter-wide vessel, including the control room, engine halls and other critical operational units, to acquaint themselves with the day-to-day generation of power.
Conducting the media personnel around the facility, the Plant Manager, Atahan Taci, explained the processes involved in power generation, from fuel intake to electricity dispatch into the national grid.
As they toured the Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan, Mr Taci said the vessel operated multiple generating units powered by natural gas and heavy fuel oil to produce electricity for the national grid.
He explained that the engines drove generators to convert fuel into electrical energy, adding that the multi-unit system allowed some engines to be shut down for maintenance while others continued to operate, ensuring uninterrupted power supply.
At the control room, which served as the nerve centre of the plant, he said engineers monitored key indicators such as voltage, frequency and load output in real time to guarantee efficiency and stability.
He added that power generated on board was stepped up through transformers and transmitted via shore connections into the national grid through the Electricity Company of Ghana.
He also highlighted the ship’s dual-fuel capability, indicating that it primarily ran on natural gas from the Aboadze enclave but could switch to heavy fuel oil when necessary, stressing that the plant’s design ensured reliable and continuous power generation in line with international standards.
Touching on safety, the Assistant Health and Safety Manager, Kalim Tanko, said the powership operated under strict international marine and industrial safety standards to ensure the protection of personnel and equipment.
He explained that the vessel was equipped with advanced fire detection and suppression systems, emergency shutdown mechanisms and well-coordinated evacuation procedures.
In a presentation prior to the tour, the Communications Manager of Karpowership Ghana, Sandra Amarquaye, said the initiative was intended to give the media first-hand insight into the company’s unique mode of operation.
She explained that the power ship’s operational model could best be appreciated through direct experience.
Tracing the company’s presence in Ghana, Ms Amarquaye said Karpowership began operations in 2015 in Tema before relocating to the Sekondi Naval Base in 2019 to take advantage of natural gas resources in the Aboadze enclave.
She said although the powership initially supplied about 23 per cent of Ghana’s electricity needs, its contribution currently stood at about 11 per cent, despite maintaining a steady output of 450 megawatts.
Ms Amarquaye emphasised the reliability of the power ship, stating that it had consistently produced power without mechanical shutdowns since it began operations.
She said any outages associated with the plant had been due to commercial considerations rather than technical faults.
“That has become possible because we have multiple units which allow us to shut some down for maintenance while others continue to function,” she explained.
On the future of the company’s operations, Ms Amarquaye disclosed that discussions were ongoing with the government for an extension of its Power Purchase Agreement, which will expire in 2027.
“We signed a 10-year agreement with the government of Ghana, and we are hoping to have an extension. We are in conversation with the government; negotiations are ongoing and it is looking positive,” she said.
Touching on corporate social responsibility, Ms Amarquaye said Karpowership considered itself part of the communities in which it operated, and had, therefore, invested significantly in social interventions.
She said the company had undertaken projects in education and health, including the renovation of schools, provision of scholarships and mentorship programmes.
She added that Karpowership was currently implementing a World Bank-supported internship programme aimed at empowering young women, in line with Sustainable Development Goal Five on gender equality.
The Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan is a mobile, ship-based power plant operated by Karpowership as part of a global fleet supplying electricity to countries such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Lebanon under short- and long-term agreements, offering a flexible and rapid solution to power needs.
