Govt aims to light up PNG by ’50

THE Government wants to deliver electricity to 70 per cent of households by 2025, when Papua New Guinea celebrates 50 years of being independent.
Prime Minister James Marape believes can be achieved following the launching the National Energy Policy 2017 to 2027 yesterday in Port Moresby.
Today, there is only 13 per cent electricity access to PNG households since electricity became publicly available in 1963.
Under this policy, the National Electrification Rollout Plan aims to deliver electricity to 70 per cent of households in 2030 and 100 per cent access through renewable energy by 2050.
Whether the 70 per cent is reached in five or 10 years, it can be done with solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydro and domestic hydro carbon energy, which are all available in PNG.
And it can be done if major and serious reforms are undertaken starting today as outlined by Marape:

• REFORMS to our present electricity regimes including PNG Power Ltd;
• ENERGY preferences in respect to cheap and clean energy;
•  CREATION of an authority that harness the use of energy resources;
• UNLEASH existing energy potentials at the earliest; example hydro, solar, gas;
• EMBRACE the role of private sector in complementing government in the energy sector; and,
• HAVE on-grid and off-grid solutions for our people.

While the Government moves forward with the launching of the National Energy Policy, it must also step back and save the entity responsible for the generation, transmission, distribution and retailing of electricity in the country – PNG Power Limited (PPL).
PNG Power has been neglected for so long especially on its aging infrastructures.
Currently, PNG Power is unable to meet the electricity demand in the country with its aged infrastructures.
Lack of funding for upgrading and rehabilitation and even for routine maintenance is leading to a further deterioration in services, while the anticipated rise in demand due to economic growth and an increasing population has further stressed the system.
Supplying reliable and affordable electricity and expanding access to electricity to a larger proportion of the urban and rural populations is thus essential to make a positive impact on the socioeconomic well-being of PNG’s citizens and on the economic development of the country.
So this is where the new energy policy comes in, it focuses on three areas – access, reliability and affordable energy.
The policy enables those responsible to focus on initiatives such as plans, programmes and even projects, both on-grid and off-grid.
This will, in turn, increase electricity access to all consumers especially those – unserved or underserved majority, in very remote areas.
The policy encourages competition in generation, transmission and distribution of power.
To rely only on one or two companies to deliver the Government’s accessibility targets of 2025 (2030) and 2050 will not work in the implementation of policy.
PNG needs more participants to come into the energy sector to drive major changes to meet the energy service needs of all consumers in our country.
Supplying reliable and affordable electricity and expanding access to a larger proportion of the urban and rural populations is crucial to make a positive impact on the socioeconomic well-being of PNG’s citizens and on the economic development of the country.