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A Turkish firm has cut power supplies to Guinea-Bissau’s capital over an unpaid bill of at least $15m (\u00a312m), plunging the city into darkness.<\/p>\n
It has severely disrupted daily life, with hospitals affected and radio stations off-air.<\/p>\n
Economy Minister Suleimane Seidi acknowledged the arrears, saying most of the bill would be paid in 15 days.<\/p>\n
Karpowership is one of the world’s biggest floating power plant operators, supplying several African states.<\/p>\n
But it has taken a tough line over non-payment. Last month, it cut power to Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, over an unpaid bill of $40m.<\/p>\n
The Turkish company has also signed a deal to supply power to South Africa, saying it will cover more than 5% of the country’s total electricity needs.<\/p>\n
South Africa has been hit by a wave of power cuts with people going without electricity for up to 10 hours a day.<\/p>\n
Power was cut in Bissau, a city with a population of more than 400,000, in the early hours of Tuesday and has not been restored, a resident told the BBC.<\/p>\n
Some public hospitals are now using generators to carry out surgery, local journalist Assana Sambu told the BBC.<\/p>\n
But they don’t have running water because there is not enough electricity, and hospital directors have appealed for power in order to cook food for their patients.<\/p>\n
Another journalist, Alberto Dabo, said he was drinking water from a well because water supplies had been cut amid the sweltering heat which reaches 40C.<\/p>\n
“Our houses are very hot. Most families stay outside till 4am before entering their houses to spend the rest of the night. You can’t stay indoors because of the heat.”<\/p>\n
State-run R\u00e1dio Nacional is among media outlets that have stopped broadcasting, while the private radio station where Sambu works is only partially operating, he added.<\/p>\n
Karpowership says it has been supplying 100% of Guinea-Bissau’s electricity since signing a five-year agreement with the state-owned electricity and water utility company in 2019.<\/p>\n
The country is one of the poorest in the world and has been beset by instability since independence.<\/p>\n
“Unfortunately, following a protracted period of non-payment, our [floating power plant] is now unable to continue operating,” a Karpowership spokesperson was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying.<\/p>\n
“We are working around the clock with officials to resolve this issue and we aim to have generation back online as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n
Energy Minister Isuf Bald\u00e9 said $6m of the $15m bill had been paid.<\/p>\n
“In a small and poor country like Guinea-Bissau, carrying out a transfer operation of this level, $10m, takes time,” he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the contract with Karpowership needed to be renegotiated because costs had almost doubled since it began, to a level Guinea-Bissau could no longer afford.<\/p>\n
The company also supplies electricity to six other African countries – Ghana, The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Senegal and Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n
The company prides itself as “the owner, operator and builder of the world’s only Powership (floating power plant)”.<\/p>\n
Its involvement in the electricity sector is the latest example of Tukey’s growing influence in Africa.<\/p>\n
Although access to electricity has increased in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years, it still remains low, with more than 50% of the region’s population having no grid connection, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n