Guinea-Bissau’s capital is currently in the dark as a Turkish company, Karpowership, has disconnected power supplies due to an outstanding bill of at least $15 million (£12 million). This move has significantly disrupted daily life, even causing radio stations to go off the air.
The Economy Minister of Guinea-Bissau, Suleimane Seidi, has acknowledged the unpaid bill and mentioned that the majority of the arrears will be settled within 15 days.
Karpowership is a major operator of floating power plants and provides electricity to several African countries. Last month, the company also cut power to Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, over an unpaid bill of $40 million.
Karpowership has recently entered into an agreement to supply power to South Africa, with the commitment to cover over 5% of the country’s total electricity requirements. South Africa has been grappling with a series of power cuts, leaving people without electricity for up to 10 hours a day.
The power outage in Guinea-Bissau’s capital, Bissau, which is home to more than 400,000 residents, began in the early hours of Tuesday and has not been restored. Some public hospitals are relying on generators to perform surgeries.
Media outlets, including state-run Rádio Nacional, have stopped broadcasting due to the power cut. Private radio stations are also operating at limited capacity.
Karpowership claims to have been supplying 100% of Guinea-Bissau’s electricity since entering into a five-year agreement with the state-owned electricity and water utility company in 2019. A spokesperson for Karpowership expressed their intent to resolve the issue and restore electricity generation as soon as possible.
Following the power disconnection, Economy Minister Seidi stated that the company and the government had agreed to renegotiate to ensure the resumption of electricity supplies.
Karpowership also provides electricity to six other African countries, including Ghana, The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The company is known for its floating power plants, which it describes as “the world’s only Powership.”
Turkey’s increasing influence in Africa is evident through its involvement in the electricity sector. While access to electricity has improved in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years, a significant portion of the population in the region still lacks access to a reliable grid connection, as reported by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad).
Source: BBC