• Karpowership criticized in Gabon amid blackouts despite 150 MW plant deployment
• Company says it's producing 75 MW; blames outages on grid, fuel, dam issues
• SEEG cites pipeline tests; fragile infrastructure delays full power restoration
  

Turkish power provider Karpowership is facing growing criticism in Gabon, as local media and social networks accuse the company of failing to meet its commitments despite deploying a 150 MW floating power plant meant to stabilize the national grid. The backlash follows persistent power outages in the capital, Libreville.

Responding to the controversy, Karpowership denied responsibility on Monday for the ongoing outages, local media reported. The company said its powership is already generating about 75 MW but is still being synchronized with the national utility, Société d’énergie et d’eau du Gabon (SEEG). It blamed the disruptions on natural and technical factors, including low water levels at existing dams, faults on high-voltage transmission lines, and poor fuel quality, all of which affect grid stability.

SEEG said pressure tests on a new gas pipeline are still underway, making supply disruptions inevitable during this phase. Authorities said power generation from the vessel remains partial but is gradually increasing, though they have not released specific figures.

The 2024 contract with Karpowership was intended to inject 150 MW of additional capacity into the Greater Libreville network to ease pressure on the national grid and offset aging infrastructure and declining output from the Tchimbélé dam.

However, the transmission network remains fragile, and several key components still need repair, delaying the expected benefits of the new capacity. In late September, SEEG said power supplies would gradually return to normal once testing was complete, but it did not provide a timeline. Planned outages continue in several Libreville neighborhoods, including Nzeng Ayong, Akébé, and Mindoubé.

Abdel-Latif Boureima