Engineers try to fix generators

By ZACHERY PER
PNG Power Ltd is working around the clock to re-start the five generators which were flooded at the Ramu One power station in Yonki, Eastern Highlands.
Chief executive officer Tony Koiri is confident the mechanical and electrical engineers will get the generators running soon to supply power to the highlands and parts of Momase region.
Koiri and his two senior managers John Tangit (general manager operation and maintenance) and Martin Bigiglen (regional manager New Guinea mainland) visited the 750m underground generator and turbine housing facility in Ramu.
Koiri said PPL moblised teams comprising experts from Rouna plant (Port Moresby), Paunda plant (Western Highlands), Lae and PPL headquarters to fix the generators.
“We are working on all the five generators, the progress is smooth and we should get them fully restored in a week’s time, but hopefully two generators should be restored very soon,” Kori said.
He said all five generators were stripped, every part thoroughly cleaned, dried, screened and tested before they were fitted back on.
“We have to do all these properly to avoid danger and further problems,” he said.
Koiri said Tangit was supervising the repairs.
He said the current load shedding from electricity coming from Paunda in Western Highlands would continue until the generators in Ramu were restored.
More than 50 megawatt of electricity generated from the Ramu One power house supplying the highlands region, Madang, Lae, Bulolo, Wau and mines in Morobe province including the Ramu nickel project in Raicoast district in Madang had been cut.