K67mil for power station

NATIONAL Planning and Monitoring Minister and Finschhafen MP Rainbo Paita has thanked the Australian government for the K67 million support received by his district to upgrade its power station to a mini-grid system.
“We are privilege to receive the mini grid power system.
“It is a massive contribution to supply power which people from the district and province will benefit from,” he said.
He said his administration would work to support the project in its construction and upgrading phase beginning with the feasibility study.
Paita said his department would also support the implementation of the rural electrification project under the PNG-Australia partnership programme throughout other provinces.
The partnership is in line with Government’s electrification programme made known during the 2018 Apec summit held in Port Moresby to provide 70 per cent of the country with reliable electricity.
Australian High Commissioner to PNG Jon Philp said power supply issues had affected provinces and it was good to see projects building power supply in the districts.
Apart from Finschhafen’s K67 million power project, the Australia government is working with the Government through PNG Power Ltd to upgrade power stations in six other provinces with mini grid power systems.
Philp said instead of relying on diesel generators which were expensive and not as efficient, a mini grid system would provide cheap and reliable power supply.
The project would be completed over the next 12 to 18 months.