Karpowership's Unpaid Bill Leaves Guinea-Bissau Capital in Darkness

A Turkish company has caused a power outage in Guinea-Bissau's capital city after cutting off the electricity supply due to an unpaid bill of at least $15m. This has had a significant impact on daily life, with even radio stations being unable to broadcast. The country's Economy Minister has acknowledged the outstanding amount and stated that most of it will be paid within 15 days. Karpowership, which operates floating power plants, is a major provider of electricity to African countries. It has previously cut power to Sierra Leone's capital over an unpaid bill of $40m. The company has signed a deal to supply power to South Africa, where power cuts have become very common. The power was abruptly cut in Guinea-Bissau's capital on Tuesday and has not been restored, leading to some public hospitals relying on generators for surgeries. Radio stations, including the state-run Rádio Nacional, have also stopped broadcasting. Karpowership claims to have been supplying all of Guinea-Bissau's electricity since 2019 but is now unable to continue due to non-payment. The company is working with officials to resolve the issue and hopes to resume generation soon. Following the power outage, the Economy Minister has said that negotiations with the company are underway to restore electricity supplies. Karpowership also supplies electricity to other African countries such as Ghana, The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The Turkish company's involvement in the electricity sector highlights Turkey's increasing influence in Africa. Despite recent progress, access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited, with over 50% of the population lacking grid connections, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.