Address corruption affecting electricity

THE State has to seriously look into the corruption affecting Papua New Guinea’s electricity provider.
Those with basic business knowledge can see the current and past stories of PNG Power Limited (PPL) are nothing more than just talk.
How does a power company which receives its fuel by hydro fail the people?
Hydro power is generated from water, rain and held in catchment areas and used when required.
The proliferation of diesel and gas generating systems is not sustainable and is going against the global position and ideology of burning fossil fuels and global warming.
It is quite profitable for some who are shareholders and who have vested interest in the selling electricity to PPL.
These systems can’t match the price of hydro as fossil fuels need to be purchased for power generation unless they have access to high retail returns (expensive power).
People in PNG have been led to believe that the Rouna Power Station along with Yonki Dam are getting too old to keep operating as such the need to look for better alternatives.
The fact is, there is no better alternative than hydro power for PNG.
The notion that there are no spare parts for the Rouna Station is a nonsense.
The fact is Rouna and Yonki systems were custom built or a “bespoke” construction as most hydro power stations are.
On that basis there are set of engineering drawings held by both the manufacturer of the generating turbines and can be accessed any time to remanufacture any part required.
PPL should in fact hold in its files of the same engineering designs.
However, I would understand there is no real interest in maintaining and repairing as there is little capacity for back door deals.
The Hoover dam and hydro power station in the United States is over 88 years old and still running, producing more than 2,000 megawatts of electricity with an annual generation output of 4.5 billion kilowatt hours.
The Snowy Mountains Hydro plant in Australia is over 47 years old and still operating at maximum capacity, with many more large hydro stations all over the world, including the Niagara system jointly run by the US and Canada.
None of these installations have spare parts sitting around in warehouses or on shelves.
The biggest threat to the operation of these systems is debris ingresses or ingested in the water supply system to the turbines.
Recently Koiari landowners showed photos of the sedimentation pond at Sogeri and it was very obvious that PPL has failed yet again to maintain its system.
Perhaps it’s deliberately allowing the system to fail, as the sedimentation pond was full of rubbish and mud – which will eventually make its way into the turbines and cause more wear and tear on the system.
Then there is the blatant theft of electricity which is endemic in Port Moresby’s settlement.
It is also known among many in the business community that there are significant electricity theft within the manufacturing and commercial areas in the country.
This mostly goes unchecked as many of PPL’s own staff are directly benefitting from power theft.
So the Governments idea to encourage international investment and manufacturing to our shores here is nothing more than misguided and uniformed rhetoric.
The PM has accepted that PNG has the most expensive electricity in the world and is driving up the cost of manufacturing in the country.
The state needs to consider engaging the services of an international corporation to run the PPL grid, while still owning the system.
A corporate operator will certainly show the people how it should be done and the benefits of cheaper electricity for all.

Mangi Balimo
Boroko, NCD