Turkey's powership builder meets 40% of Lebanon's elec.

By Mahmut Geldi

BEIRUT

Turkey's energy-generating shipbuilder Karadeniz Holding produces almost 40 percent of Lebanon's electricity, the company representative Ralif Faysal said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference organized at the company's Karadeniz Powership, Fatmagul Sultan - Faysal explained that this powership along with another called Karadeniz Powership Orhan Bey have almost 400 megawatts (MW) of combined installed capacity to meet 25 percent of Lebanon's electricity needs.

These two powerships are part of a contract awarded in 2012 by the Lebanese Electricity Utility (EDL) to Karpowership, a member of the Karadeniz Energy Group, to provide 270 MW of baseload generation capacity.

The capacity of the existing powerships was enlarged on-site upon additional electricity demand from the offtaker. At the end of 2016, the contract capacity was raised to 370 MW for another two years.

The 406 MW installed capacity, dual-fuel, and combined-cycle powerships located in Zouk and Jieh municipalities serve the 370 MW contract.

Another powership was temporarily deployed for three months in August - Karadeniz Powership Esra Sultan. Additional production from this source together with the other two powerships supply almost 40 percent of Lebanon's electricity, Faysal declared.

Turkish powerships underlie the cheapest electricity production for Lebanon, according to Faysal.

In line with the agreement reached with the Lebanese government, the Esma Sultan powership will provide free service for three months, Faysal explained, noting that should Lebanon supply natural gas to Karadeniz Holding's powership, production costs could fall.

Faysal added that 125 Lebanese workers are employed in the Turkish powerships.