Debate rages over coal power plan

The National Letters

THERE has been a lot of ill-informed and frankly quite stupid reactions to Mayur’s proposal for a principally coal-fired power station in Lae.
While the Mayur proposal may not be the optional one, (which is a major hydro project) it is practical and at a cost of around US$130 million (K430mil) Mayur believes it can be funded by them.
The unreliable and hideously price of power is a major barrier to industrial development (and jobs) and it imposes very high costs on struggling consumers.
PNG Power CEO Carolyn Blacklock is wrong.
The coal resource is Mayur’s and the two proposals Mayur’s and Oil Search’s bio-fuel project are both required.
Both will reduce the amount of pollution, including the nanoparticle emissions, per unit of power produced, compared with the present mix of PNG Power and company-produced power using diesel, with hundreds of (supposedly) standby generators in use on a daily basis.
Mayur is, I think, indicating a 60 per cent reduction in the price of power to industrial users and a 30-40 per cent reduction to domestic users.
Blacklock, with government approval, needs to negotiate in good faith with both companies to secure a fair deal for all concerned.
In truth, it is unlikely that calling tenders will produce any other bidders.
Mayur has announced that its coal is high-quality thermal coal, that has low sulphur and low ash content and it does not require washing before being used, which means low emissions.
To produce diesel requires a lot of emissions, even before it is burned. This coal only needs to be sized for optimal performance and being provided on a long-term contract basis it will not be subject to the price volatility of oil products.
High-quality thermal coal is not highly polluting, unlike low quality Chinese coals.
Reliable and affordable power is what is needed and how it is produced is irrelevant.
Solar will not work effectively in Morobe.

R.W. Bolling

  •  WE are at a crossroad – whether to accept Morobe’s plan for coal-fired power generation or the betterment of our future generation by living in harmony with our environment.
    Morobe is following a path of environmental destruction and a direct violator to the Paris accord signed by many partner nations to combat climate change and environmental destruction.
    This is with regard to the Mayur Power Generation Company and its proposed coal power plant in Morobe.
    We have witnessed, heard and felt the effects of climate change.
    We have seen in the newspapers, television, from the internet, heard on radio and even felt ourselves the rising sea levels, the fast erosion of the coastal land and the extinction of flora and fauna.
    If we are humans than we should understand the need for us to safeguard Mother Earth from ruins to protect our future and the future of generation from catastrophe.
    Every one of us is duty-bound to safeguard Mother Earth from greed and hunger in the name of progress.
    For it is through her that we have come to know ourselves as humans, Papua New Guineans and Morobeans with our own unique culture and traditions and with the privilege to call Morobe and PNG our home.
    Earth is our refuge, for where else can we be in this universe without it?
    She has fed our forefathers, guided, housed and nurtured them from thousands of years and has given them the island of PNG as home.
    Our good leaders must think deep for they are being entrusted the obligation to safeguard the interest of their people.
    Rapid advancement comes with its own suffering.
    A well-balanced society is what we envisage; one that adheres to cultural norms and the weighing of modern influences.
    Our land is our right and sovereignty.
    For under no circumstance do we give in to the influence of modernisation and to leave our land vulnerable to destruction and exploitation.
    What we do today will determine our future.
    Leave alone our land.
    Let Morobe be free of pollution.
    As free people we demand to be free of pollution, waste and destruction. Mayur Power Generation be out of our land.
    No coal power plant in The Land of Morobe and PNG.

Antal Kesa King
Environmentalist

  • THE proposal by Mayur Resources to boost the electricity supply in Lae with the use of coal is still being assessed by PNG Power as stated by Public Enterprise and State Investment Minister William Duma.
    As a concerned citizen of this country and a member of the global community, I cannot comprehend the reason behind people supporting this project when the effects of global warming are currently dominating the news headlines.
    Coal mining is destructive and will only add to the devastating effects of global warming.
    There are vast sources of renewable energy in this country that are health and environmentally friendly.
    Acting PNG Power managing director Carolyn Blacklock has taken a wise stand on this issue.
    I salute her for her stand to protect the future of this country and the world.
    Mayur’s K125 million funding package for Morobe for 25 years is nothing compared to the potential health and environmental damage the project will cause.
    I sincerely request the board of PNG Power to put the interest of this country first and support Blacklock.
    Remember, God has placed you in your position for such time as this to make well informed decisions for the good of this country and the global community.

    Mikes M
    Kainantu