Seatrium secures contract for five Karpowership conversions

Singapore-based marine engineering group Seatrium has secured a contract from Karpowership for the major conversion and integration of five third-generation Whale Class Powerships, strengthening the companies’ longstanding partnership in floating energy infrastructure.

Announced on October 23, 2026, the agreement covers the development, major conversion and integration of hydrogen-ready floating power plants designed to provide electricity to national grids.

Under the contract, Seatrium will undertake equipment integration, mechanical completion and pre-commissioning activities for the five vessels. Engineering work is already underway, with the first vessel scheduled to arrive at Seatrium’s Tuas Boulevard Yard in Singapore in December 2027.

The agreement represents Seatrium’s first major conversion and integration project involving Karpowership’s Whale Class Powerships.

Whale Class vessels designed for large-scale power generation

Karpowership’s Whale Class represents its highest-capacity generation of floating power plants, designed to deliver up to 600 MW of electricity through hydrogen-ready, multi-fuel power generation systems.

The vessels incorporate onboard substations that enable direct connections to national electricity grids. According to Karpowership, its plug-and-play Powership design can allow electricity generation to begin in as little as 30 days, depending on deployment requirements.

The new generation is designed to combine substantial power generation capacity with a compact operational footprint and arrangements supporting continuous fuel supply.

“This significant milestone marks Seatrium’s first major conversion work and integration of Karpowership’s Whale Class Powerships,” said Alvin Gan, Executive Vice President, Repairs and Upgrades, Seatrium.

“We are proud to support Karpowership’s drive to pioneer innovative floating power solutions and the next phase of its fleet development, bringing our capabilities in complex vessel integration and offshore engineering to the project,” he added.

Gokhan Kocak, Chief Technical Operations Officer at Karpowership, highlighted the companies’ established relationship and Seatrium’s experience in complex vessel integration.

“The next-generation Whale Class Powerships demonstrate our continued commitment to innovation, operational excellence and energy security,” said Kocak.

Partnership builds on previous FSRU conversion projects

The latest contract follows a Letter of Intent signed by Seatrium and Karpowership in August 2025, which outlined plans for three floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) conversions and the potential integration of up to six new-generation Powerships.

The newly announced agreement confirms conversion and integration work for five Whale Class vessels, marking a further step in the companies’ cooperation.

Their relationship dates back to 2018, with Seatrium having completed seven FSRU conversion projects for Karpowership. The company also secured its eighth and ninth FSRU conversion projects during 2026.

The latest award expands Seatrium’s involvement in Karpowership’s fleet development programme, combining the Singapore group’s marine engineering and conversion capabilities with Karpowership’s floating electricity generation technology.

Karpowership operates a fleet of 45 Powerships with total installed generating capacity exceeding 8,500 MW, according to the company’s information accompanying the announcement.

The financial value of the five-vessel contract and the expected completion dates for the individual conversions were not disclosed.

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