Consumer commission issues 10 power licences

TEN companies have been granted licences by the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission to provide electricity.
They are PNG Power Ltd, PNG Forest Product, Ok Tedi Mining Limited (now Ok Tedi Power), Lihir Gold Mine Limited, Posco Daewoo Power Limited (formally Hanjung Power Ltd), New Britain Palm Oil Limited, Exxon Mobil PNG Limited, Daewoo PNG Power Ltd and two independent power producers.
Commissioner Paulus Ain, pictured, said the commission licenses to those electricity undertakers under the Electricity Industry Act to participate in the electricity supply industry in Papua New Guinea
“We also like to acknowledge the ongoing effort of upcoming projects such as the 50mw gas-fired station at Papa Lealea in Port Moresby for NiuPower Limited which is currently under review,” he said.
He also acknowledged the two new firms – the 50mw PNG Hydro Ltd’s project and the 30MW PNG Biomass Power Ltd.
“By end of this year, PNG should have 11 licensees operating in the electricity supply industry,” he said.
The commission under the Electricity Industry Act is responsible for administering and enforcing the licensing, price regulation, safety and technical regulation which apply to the electricity industry.
Ain said that due to capacity constraints, the Commission could only undertake economic regulation, licensing and providing oversight in the electricity license conditions and requirement.
The electricity technical regulatory functions have been delegated to PNG Power.