Sindh

World's largest power ship arrives in Karachi

The Turkish-made ship carrying a rental power plant will be shifted to the Ibrahim Haidery Power Station today.

Express November 19, 2010

KARACHI: The world’s largest power-generating ship reached Karachi from Turkey on Thursday.

The Turkish-made power ship, Kaya Bey, carrying a rental power plant, was anchored at berth number 4 of Karachi Port and will be shifted to the Ibrahim Haidery Power Station today (Friday).

The Turkish company (Karkey) that owns the ship guaranteed 93 per cent efficiency to provide the 231.8 MW based on diesel-run sets for 60 months.

Work on laying the high tension lines and an underground cable between the thermal plant and the Qayyumabad grid for the new supply has been completed and the network is being tested.

The ship came as part of an agreement signed a year ago between Pakistan and a private Turkish company. The Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), Siemens and the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) have been preparing for its arrival.

As reported in The Express Tribune earlier, the ship will provide electricity to the Lakhra Power Generation Company Limited, a Pepco subsidiary, through KESC. Karkey has erected a tower to connect the power ship to the Karachi grid. It has also produced and delivered related interconnection protection panels to Lakhra Power after completing dredging and interconnection facilities.

The ship has the necessary fuel storage facilities on board or on storage vessels berthed near it. The company entered a rental services contract in December 2008 after winning the international bid and has completed necessary groundwork for operation of the ship.

These rental power plants will supply power to the national electricity grid in an attempt to stem the power crisis in the country.

The inauguration of the supply is expected after an on-board ceremony to welcome dignitaries on November 21.

COMMENTS (42)

Atta ul haq | 14 years ago | Reply This message is for people of Pakistan to understand the great game going on in rental power scam .The important thing worth mentioning over here is that the Goverment is commited to buy expensive MWs in order to fulfill the power & Supply Gap.There are number of options available like Hydel, Wind, Coal , Duel fuel ,Nuclear or importing from Iran or China but such power plant takes a minimum of 3 years to complete and to get opeartional. A Rental Power station is a intermediate solution to accomodate a period when your hydel power projects are in progress because it takes a 7 to 8 years time to get completed and become operational.The problem lies in negotiation of contarcts with the companies on tariff negotiation since nobody understands what is the reason of buying such an expensive solution from Turkey which will cost approximately arouns Rs.20/unit.This solution will further tormant the condition of WAPDA since they will be buy the electricity at higher rates and sell it in lower price to KESC.I firmly request the Chief justice to take note to such activites.

Fahim Ahmed | 14 years ago | Reply Can anyone tell me that can people of Karachi get benefit from this, i.e., loadshadding will be stopped or not. what is karachi's current difference in supply and demand, if its under 232 mega than it will be ok but if it is more than that so the problems will be still there for common men.

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Shabbir Kazmi | 14 years ago | Reply It is a big shock for me that electricity purchased from Turkish plant will cost 16 cents a unit. It seems a typical RPP scam likely to bring bad nameto Turkey. I also fail to understand why WAPDA has been made sole buyer of electricity when KESC is actually the buyer. I also fail to understand diapproval by pepco, an entity which should have been closed down by this time as per the decision of government. I also fail who and how the payments will be made to Turkish company when KESC/WAPDA do not have funds to pay the fuel suppliers/

imkarachi | 14 years ago | Reply After a week you will hear a news: "World's Largest power ship leaves Karachi"

Akhtar | 14 years ago | Reply I'm a bit confused about the hapiness of that solution which for me can only be seen as temporary and be used for pick-load as the generation cost is very high. This way of approaching the electricity problem shows a clear lack knowledge in how to built the a reliable power network for Pakistan. Long term, midterm and shortterms strategies have to be developed. Long terms: 1/ optimise the hydro-generation buy building as many dams as possible: Pakistan has to open eyes and look to country like France, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway where they have exhausted areas to built dams. Dams allow you to use water as a free row materiel to generate electricity. Some country has developed a system of 2 reservoirs (dams), one on top of each other, during the pick time you empty the upper reservoir to the bottom by selling it at high price and in the night when you have a surplus of power you pump that water back to upper reservoirs (Canadians are going that with the US :) ). 2/ Nuke: Currently Pakistan is negotiating with the Chineese gouvernement for the supply of 1000MW class NPP. China is currently building a large number of nuke a year with a transfer of technology from Europe. As an exemple France has 58 NPP generating 78% of its power generation.... the largest in operation since the late 90' is 1550MW, the next generation (EPR) will be 1750MW..... Mid terms: 1/ Combine cycles with Gas turbines: Pakistan has lot of gaz, so install gaz turbines, one can generate up to 250MW 2/ Coal: again country has to adapt the generation capacity to what they have. Pakistan has coal. This way of producing polutes but CO2 capture features are now available, therefore country like Germany are building Coal Plants 3/ renewables : solar and wind shall be developped. Short term: fuel...... expensive for Pakistan and poluting Hope that one day technocrates will lead Pakistan....

Zuhair | 14 years ago | Reply Dont jump off your seats fellas. This will not reduce the load shedding in the city. It is only going to make matters worse. The plan is to reduce the power supply to Karachi from Wapda by 232 MW, which will be filled now by this ship. So in essence, we will be getting the same amount of power but only at a higher cost. Our tariffs will raise further as rental electricity from this ship will cost Rs11/unit, whereas the existing one which we get from Wapda is hydel and costs only Rs6/unit. Brace yourself for fatter utility bills for the same hours of load shedding. Belated Eid Mubarak.

Anwar Hasan | 14 years ago | Reply I wish we could build a ship like this. Unfortunately we cannot even make a pamper by ourself.

Nazir Habib | 14 years ago | Reply Thank GOD our Turkish brothers are here to supply us the much needed electric power. They have always stood by us and we need to appreciate this wholesomely. But the cost should be borne by his illustrious, hyperopic highness, the.........................Raja Parvez Ashraf, who must ensure that his committment to the city of Karachi is not cracked and this power is supplied to KESC and not subsequently to WAPDA. With salams and best wishes.

Absar | 14 years ago | Reply God! In this world the most expensive way of producing the electricity is by means of burning oil. I wonder when will we look forward to harness electricity via Renewable Energy. Pakistan has enough potential to materialize this idea. We have a wonderful sunshine from South to North, wind factor too is good in Pakistan to have wind farms, and the wave energy that we could have from the big big sea we own -- the sea that we only use for fishing perhaps. Darn! Fish too is also expensive in Pakistan!

Armaghan-e-Rehman Mansoor | 14 years ago | Reply This is temporary, to say the least. How long can it possibly dock at Karachi? Two years, probably less. And how much more would it cost than indigenous power generation? Much more than thermal power or hydroelectricity very if increase?. Wouldn't that spell another tar Still, a good service from the Turkish side. Seems like they care more for us than our politicians, who just can't leave off their petty squabbles.

ayub | 14 years ago | Reply pl send the details of that company who installed this power plant to pakistan this is great pleasure on pak peoples thx

Ramsha Kanwal | 14 years ago | Reply I think my country PAKISTAN should be proud of it and this is the a great moment for Pakistan and its founder QUAID-E-AZAM'S soul.

gull maria | 14 years ago | Reply pakistan is the best country in pakistan there is many facilites proveded. may our country got precious progress amean

Sher Afzal Khan | 14 years ago | Reply There was no need of any generation plant. Its totally fraud with the nation. At present KESC is not generating with her full capacity. Bin Qasim is closed for want of furnace oil. KESC is black mailing and not purchasing the furnace oil. Who will purchase the Diesel which is costly than Furnace oil. Will they not demand the Diesel on Natural Gas cost for whom KESC is already demanding illegally. They behave and claim that the Company is a sole private organization and will not give any relaxation to their consumers, then how Government of Pakistan is providing them funds/aid in trillions. It shows the keen interest of Govt officials/authorities and proving that something is behind the curtain. KESC is an commercial organization and they know very well that a commercial organization might be on profit or loss but govt has no right to compensate them. If they are going in loss they may left KESC. Minister/Ministry of Power is duty bound to ensure for smooth running of all power plants and they are failed to do this. Higher authorities/Establishment are requested to look into the matter and stop this loot.

Sara Ahmed | 14 years ago | Reply we have all natural resources in abundance to fulfill our requirements...but now this...wondering if this will really work and our government will make it happen to work for common people of Pakistan...@ shemrez two countries and one nation...are Pakistanis really showing themselves as one nation?sensitive topic which has now become a joke for everyone around the world...

sadique hussain layyah | 14 years ago | Reply i am very thankful to the turiky government for that ............. our governer and government can not purchase instead they will pocket money ...........

Faisal Khan | 14 years ago | Reply @Akhtar: "Friendship" has nothing to do with it - it is such a misnomer in our press when talking about relations. This is pure business.

akhtar | 14 years ago | Reply Very glad to hear about the same. Long Live Pakistan Turkey Friendship.

ej | 14 years ago | Reply Now they will power it up after the stipid VIPs attend a variety program on board! Start the damn plant now and do the party later !

Absar | 14 years ago | Reply How good is to have the so called "world's largest power ship", when Pakistan's power generation capacity is already in surplus, and its a rental plant for your heaven sake which is going to cost an arm and a leg to Pakistan, which will be trickled down(adversely) to the poor people. What our f*ing moron Govt officials should do is to stop playing into the hands of power generating private company's, and get their act together, invest in smaller short term and bigger long term Dams.

tanzeel | 14 years ago | Reply Another temporary solution to resolve electricity issue.

Raqib Ali | 14 years ago | Reply Great news. ET should focus on good news for a month and it may put a dent in our negative thinking!!!

K | 14 years ago | Reply Not a good idea. What about solar, 500-megawatt solar thermal power can accommodate 200,000 - 300,000 homes in KHI. KHI needs marshall plan for today and future. We have taken enough short cuts.

Zaid | 14 years ago | Reply Does anybody knows what is the cost of electricty per unit. I think it would be around 14-20 cents. I have no idea to what extent this project has been granted on merit or not like other Rental Power Projects (RPPs). KESC has also the capacity to produce electricity with thermal power which requires fuel. But KESC is only relying on PEPCO electricity which is very cheap and getting a lot of profit from tax payers. I wish, these cronies government can realize the challenges faced due to power shortages.

parvez | 14 years ago | Reply "Vessel is docked in the open sea between Korangi----------" On TV the vessel was shown docked at Karachi port. Small fact but ET should get things right.

Shemrez Nauman Afzal | 14 years ago | Reply Welcome, Khush Aamdeed and Hoşgeldiniz!!! Pakistan and Turkey are two Countries but ONE Nation.

ali | 14 years ago | Reply if they can get help from turkey than why not from china ?

Fazal Karim Malik | 14 years ago | Reply This seems a positive development in providing relief to power starved Karachi. Let us hope that the unscruplous users refrain from theft on one hand and KESC as service provider cuts down its line losses. I'm sure that round the clock supply will transform Karachi's old status, "The city of the lights". If industry and economy gets the wheels, Karaciites will pay the cost.

shy | 14 years ago | Reply Welcome.

Rehan | 14 years ago | Reply Didn't know that a city like Karachi does not have efficient power supply!

Ali Haider | 14 years ago | Reply Inauguration ceremony for what? Get to work guys!!!

Atif Zain | 14 years ago | Reply I wish It could give us services in return against the huge bills we pay every month to KESC for nothing. And let see how much KESC and Gov raise in electricity unit price to pay service charges for these hired electric generator ship..

Copper | 14 years ago | Reply How much it gonna cost?

Mohammed Abbasi | 14 years ago | Reply turks to the rescue :)

Ahmad Nawaz Wattoo | 14 years ago | Reply Total Power Generation Capacity of Pakistan (including all sources) is 19,855 MW and the electricity demand (as of April 2010) is 14,500 MW and PEPCO is merely generating 10,000 MW. So it is obvious that shutdowns in most parts of the country are not because of the lack of generation capacity but due to the incompetency and failure of the successive Government. The Power generation companies are not buying furnace oil from PSO by saying they don’t have money to do that but the subcribers/consumers are paying the electricity bills without default.

Noor | 14 years ago | Reply And what would happen after 60 months? Another contract?

Mahmood | 14 years ago | Reply Glad to see some good news for a change! let's hope the 'kundas' are kept OFF this grid.

edgarm | 14 years ago | Reply Could we know the cost of power generation and the price Lakhra Power Generation Company Limited will pay for it.

Waqar | 14 years ago | Reply Great...

Habiba Younis | 14 years ago | Reply sounds good.......

Syed A. Mateen | 14 years ago | Reply Will this end the load-shedding in Karachi? Will it provide uninterrupted power supply to Karachiites throughout the year? And at what cost?

Hassan raza | 14 years ago | Reply i wish it would be city of lights again for karachities ..

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