Agreement to see improvement in power supply

 LAE city will soon have fewer power outages, a Japanese aid agency official says.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) chief representative Shigeru Sugiyama said this following the signing of an agreement last Friday between PNG Power Ltd and a Japanese firm NEWJEC for the Ramu transmission system reinforcement project.

Sugiyama said the project aimed to boost power services in the Lae area, and would benefit local people and industries in the region as it would reduce power blackouts resulting from transmission line failures.

NEWJEC, currently engaged by JICA to assist PNG Power Ltd carry out several other studies to improve power distribution in Momase region, would be the lead consultant in the project.

“In line with the PNG Government’s strategy to rejuvenate Lae as the commercial hub for PNG’s economic growth, we have intensified our support to the region recently,” Sugiyama said. “The Ramu transmission system reinforcement project has two components, the installation of 32 kilovolts transmission lines stretching out 137km in total and connecting sensing, Erap and Taraka substations in Lae; and the construction 

and rehabilitation of selected substations and switchyard in the Ramu system.

“These works are expected to bring about positive changes in terms of the power supply in the system.”

NEWJEC general manager Kiyoshi Yoshida said it was their second project for PNG Power and was the biggest.

“NEWJEC is now providing the services for the Ramu system power development master plan and Lae area distribution network improvement plan in cooperation with PNG Power Ltd,” Yoshida said. “I hope this project will bring about the fruitful results and contribute to the stable power supply in the Ramu transmission system and to the economic development in the region.” 

PNG Power chief executive officer John Tangit said the engagement of NEWJEC would allow for an investigation work to provide the basis for a benchmark to develop the project in Lae.

NEWJEC Inc is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm and offers a wide range of services covering project formulation and financial planning, feasibility studies, detailed and definite design, tendering and contracting, construction supervision and management, and training.