Oro hydro project nears completion

By HELEN TARAWA
THE people of Oro have been urged to look after the K43 million Divune hydro project in Kokoda when it is completed at the end of this year.
Acting Oro administrator Trevor Magei, who led a delegation of officials from Asian Development Bank, PNG Power Limited and National Planning and Monitoring on a visit to Divune last Friday, said it was an important project that would benefit the province.
Magei said the provincial government would ensure all related land owner issues were resolved.
“I urge resource owners and the people of Oro to understand and appreciate the enormity of the project and the benefits it will offer to individuals and the province in the long term,” Magei said.
“People must see beyond the short-term benefits of compensation demands for the destruction of their gardens and coconuts trees in the project area and start thinking about how they will benefit from having access to electricity.”
The Divune sub-project was funded through an Asian Development Bank loan under the Town Electrification Investment Programme.
Magei said the hydro power station would produce three megawatts of electricity.
Two separate units will generate 1.5 MW each and would have the capacity to supply the population and business demands of the province.
Divune project civil structural engineer Theresa Katu said all civil works would be completed in the coming months in order to allow the electrical and mechanical works to be carried out before the commissioning.