KARMOL names FSRU in Singapore
KARMOL, a joint venture between Karpowership and Japan’s MOL, has named its latest Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) at Seatrium’s yard in Singapore. The four conversions include Karmol LNGT Powership Africa, Karmol LNGT Powership Asia and Karmol LNGT Powership Europe.
The contract strengthens Seatrium’s position as a leader in the highly specialised FSRU conversion market. Works entail the instalment of a regasification skid and supporting systems such as cargo, utility, spread-mooring, offloading, electrical and automation.
KARMOL LNGT Powership Africa (ex-Dwiputra, built 1994) arrived off Dakar, Senegal, in June 2021. The vessel has a storage capacity of 125,000 cubic meters and a scalable regas capacity of 15 to 300 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd), adding to the Turkish company’s global fleet of LNG-to-power solutions.
Karpowership, part of Istanbul-based Karadeniz Holding, has the world’s largest fleet of Powerships with 40 ships and a combined capacity of over 7,500 MW. Earlier this year, the Turkish company contracted MAN Energy Solutions to supply and install 48 dual-fuel engines.
Maiden LNG cargo arrives at KARMOL Powership in Senegal
A maiden LNG cargo has arrived at the 125,000 cubic meter KARMOL LNGT Powership Africa, moored off the Senegalese capital Dakar since June 2021. Arrival of the first cargo – onboard a TotalEnergies-chartered tanker – helps the African nation to convert several power stations from oil to natural gas.
KARMOL, a joint venture between Karpowership and Mitsui OSK Lines, is for long active in Senegal: the Turkish company is already operating a 235 MW powership since August 2019, which covers around 15% of the country’s electricity needs.
Technically speaking, KARMOL’s technique of regasifying LNG onboard a specially designed FSRU for direct use in a Karpowership helps accelerate the roll-out of LNG-to-Power projects in countries with no domestic gas resources.
Going forward, the Turkish-Japanese joint venture wants to convert its entire fleet of Powerships to LNG. To that end, the JV already has another FSRU under construction which will be released shortly and is destined to be deployed offshore Mozambique.
Gokhan Kocak, KARMOL board member, said the company has a “bold ambition” to offer LNG to Power across the world and especially within Africa. “The 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,” he explained.
