K60mil project nears completion

The K60 million 105km power line project from Erap to Hidden Valley mine is expected to be complete by Dec 15, in which the mine and the rural population will finally have access to power.
Speaking at Purumpur village in the Erap PNG Power sub-station in Markham, PNG Power Momase regional manager Watson Naso said the project was aimed at bringing services to the rural population indirectly through the mine.
“It is one of the projects where villagers will have access to power because of the mine development,” he said.
According to Malaysian company, HG Power Transmissions’ project manager Ashok Kumar working in the PNG terrain had been the first of the company’s challenges as they had never worked in these environments before.
“We have worked in Bangladesh, Indonesia and in many parts of the world but we have never come across such rough and rugged terrain,” he said.
Hidden Valley PNG Power project manager Obed Batia said the 105km project was nearly completed with only 5km remaining.
“We will supply 132 volts of electricity from Erap to the mine site and along the villages, as the project is nearly finished in just 18 months of work,” he said.
The final 5km from Mare village to Erap sub-station is nearly completed with just a single tower that is expected to be erected today.
Batia said HG Power Transmissions had built a total of 257 towers in 18 months and their hard work had paid of.
“They have done an excellent job and by next Wednesday, stringing or pulling of lines of the final 5km from Mare to Erap will begin,” he said.
The project is an initiative of PNG Power regional manger Watson Naso in lighting up rural villages.