South Africa grants Turkey’s Karpowership deal to ease power crisis

FILE PHOTO: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (not pictured) attend a media briefing and signing ceremony at Tuynhuys to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries in Cape Town, South Africa, May 16, 2023. REUTERS/Esa Alexander

May 18, 2023 _ CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South Africa has granted Turkey’s Karpowership access to the three ports of Ngqura, Durban and Saldanha Bay for a period of 20 years, the transport ministry said on Thursday, in a bid to alleviate the country’s worst power crisis.

Karpowership aims to generate power on its floating gas ships and distribute it through the South Africa’s electricity grid. The plan received a boost from President Cyril Ramaphosa last week after he said the ships would help ease the prolonged power shortage countrywide.

Karpowership has in the past faced numerous challenges from environmental activists since the South African government in 2021 granted it the biggest share of a 2,000 megawatt emergency power tender to generate electricity.

(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by James Macharia Chege)