Karpowership’s first LNG-to-power project is coming together with sea trials in Singapore starting today, ahead of deployment to Senegal in the coming weeks.
The Turkish company is working on a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) via the KARMOL joint venture, with Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL).
The FSRU arrived at Sembcorp Marine, in Singapore, on March 15. The vessel, KARMOL LNGT Africa, will hook up with a 235 MW Powership. This been working in Senegal since August 2019.
The Powership provides around 15% of Senegal’s power needs.
The FSRU should leave Singapore in early April and arrive in Senegal in mid-May. The Powership will switch over to using LNG, due before the end of June. The FSRU has capacity of 125,000 cubic metres.
Karpowership has plans to convert its entire fleet of Powerships to LNG. Another FSRU is under construction, which it will deliver to Mozambique.
Infrastructure bypass
“We have a bold ambition to offer LNG to Power across the world and especially within Africa. Usage of FSRUs mean we can unlock the benefits of clean and affordable electricity for millions of people, even where countries have no domestic gas production or infrastructure,” said KARMOL board member Gokhan Kocak.
Using FSRUs and Powerships is a “ground-breaking solution”, he continued. It opens up the “the prospect of stable electricity, powered by efficient, cleaner fuels, to many more countries.
“Our KARMOL partnership is at the core of a long-term plan to bring reliable, economical and green electricity to our current partners and new customers.”
A KARMOL representative, Kensuke Ito, said the FSRU demonstrated the “continued partnership” of MOL and Karpowership.
It “represents our strong commitment to providing LNG-to-Power solutions to the African region. This milestone has been achieved against the most challenging of backdrops with the ongoing global COVID pandemic which makes this all the more satisfying.”
