Turkish company to send electric power vessels to Gaza

As fighting resumes between Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas in Gaza after a five day ceasefire, Turkish shipbuilder Karadeniz Holding announced Tuesday plans to send a floating power station to provide electricity to the war torn area.

The company revealed the plans shortly after Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz had a joint press conference with Palestinian Energy Minister Omar Kittaneh in Ankara.

“The Palestinians have contacted the Israelis concerning the dispatching of the platform and there has been no adverse reaction from the Israeli side,” said Yildiz.

The Istanbul-based company said a ship would be sent within 120 days once the necessary approvals could be obtained.

Karadeniz is the world’s only manufacturer of self-propelled electric generating vessels and is already providing its power fleet to parts of Iraq and Lebanon with a combined capacity of 1,200 megawatts.

Since Israel began its military operation in Gaza, the region’s 1.8 million residents have dealt with blackouts for as long as 20 hours a day due to fuel shortages and its crumbling infrastructures.

Earlier this month, Egypt began increasing the amount of electricity for Gaza by 22 megawatts.