Ethane power transmitting plant to be set up in

 By MALUM NALU
A receiving terminal and power plant will be established in Madang for the proposed US$2 billion (K6.23 billion) ethane power transmitting plant, according to project proposals.
Petroleum and Energy Minister Ben Micah said the power transmitting plant in Madang by American Ethane Company will mean cheaper and accessible electricity for Papua New Guinea by 2019.
According to the proposal, the receiving terminal in Madang would comprise of:

• One land-based terminal with liquefied ethylene gas storage of 100,000 cubic metres;
• Berth with 11m draft to receive  very large ethane carrier (VLEC) vessels of 85,000 cubic metres;
• Re-gasification unit for one million tonnes per annum (MPTA) of fuel; and
• Have a construction time of 30 months.

The power plant would comprise:

• Land for power plant;
• 6×3 combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) power blocks which would generate up to 700 megawatts of power;
• Net fuel efficiency on ethane being over 52 per cent;
• Construction time of 30 months;
• Power evacuated by a 600km bi-pole transmission line from Madang to Port Moresby (to be completed by mid-2018); and
• Would be operation by the second half of 2018.

“In the short term, ethane will replace diesel fuel,” Micah said.
“Ethane is clean, comparatively cheaper and we are going to bring it in large quantities from the US through American Ethane, in partnership with General Electric and Energy Transfer – large American companies that are involved in energy.”
Micah said it was proposed to have the receiving terminal in Madang which was also where power would be generated.
“Transmission lines will be built all the way to Port Moresby.
“For the first time, we have received a serious proposal from this consortium of American-based companies to build transmission lines from Madang to Port Moresby, which will for the first time connect the Port Moresby and Ramu grids.”