Hydro-electricity suitable for rural PNG

FOUR Parliamentarians were surprised to learn of a simple and appropriate way to provide electricity to rural areas in PNG.
Peter Lynch, managing director of Pelena Energy Managing in Australia, was in Goroka last week and showed Members
of Parliament, Jamie Maxtone Graham (Anglimp-South Waghi), Jim Nomane (Chuave), Sam Basil (Bulolo) and Anthony Nene (Sohe) how it was done.
They were at the Appropriate Technology (AT) Project site at the foot of Mt Gavishuka Provincial Park, in Goroka to witness the graduation of  students who completed a two week Pico Hydro-electricity training course.
The course was conducted by Mr Lynch of Pelena Energy Managing  of Australia.
The training course funded by World Bank through the programme of Sustainable Energy Finance Projects (SEFG) was purposely designed to bring the Pico Hydro to remote areas of Papua New Guinea who do not have access to electricity.
Manager of AT Project Steve Layton invited Mr Lynch to conduct the training for 20 participants including four women.
Mr Maxtone Graham said appropriate technology had huge potential to improve the standard of living in rural areas.
He said it was important that skills were transferred to people who could utilise their training by using appropriate technology there were available to provide things like electricity at very low cost to the majority of the people.
Mr Nomane said the technology was environmentally friendly and and as such was suitable for an electorate like his.