Kaya Bey: Two months later, power ship still not producing electricity

The ship needs electricity to start its own system, officials say.

KARACHI: It has been almost two months since the much-hyped arrival of the Turkish power ship Kaya Bey on November 18 to alleviate the country’s energy crisis. But it is yet to generate any power.

The ship has the capacity of generating 232 megawatts (MW) every day and it was supposed to supply 220 MW to different areas of the city through Korangi Thermal Power Station.

The arrival of the rental plant, owned by the Turkish private company, Karkey Karadeniz Electrik, was due to the agreement inked between the governments of Pakistan and Turkey three years ago.

The ship was initially supposed to start power generation from May last year, but due to the delay in its departure from Tuzla port, Turkey, it arrived in November 2010.

According to the government, the ship was supposed to start power generation from the beginning of this year.

When Asad Mehmood, the project director and manager associated with the Kaya Bey, was contacted to inquire about the matter, he refused to comment.

Meanwhile, Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) managing director Tabish Gauhar said the rented power produced from the ship will be very expensive. “KESC will not benefit from the extra electricity and this might increase the financial burden on consumers.”

According to officials, the delay is being ironically caused as the power ship needs more electricity itself to jumpstart its own system. For this, relevant authorities have written letters to Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) and other organisations complaining about the electricity shortfall that is causing the delay in the ship’s power production.

However, Pepco assures that the Kaya Bey will start functioning soon. “We are completing prerequisites for power generation and the ship will start producing electricity in the coming months,” says Pepco managing director Rasool Khan Mahsud.

In the wake of eight-hour load-shedding in industrial zones and KESC’s calls to increase the power tariff, the world’s largest marine power-generating plant needs to be operational. But the obstacles the ship faces are fizzling out the good news its arrival brought with it.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2011.