Landowners’ approval sought for powerlines for gas-fired plant line

National

By HELEN TARAWA
Negotiations are underway for 20km of transmission lines to be installed from the newly launched 57.78 megawatt gas-fired power plant to Gerehu substation, PNG Power Ltd acting chief executive officer Alex Oa says.
Oa told The National that electricity would be transmitted from the gas-powered plant at the LNG site to Gerehu using PNG Power network and delivered to the city.
“We are already talking to Motu-Koita landowners hoping they will agree with us and we can build a line from the power plant to the Gerehu substation,” Oa said.
“We have to start soon and the other option is if our discussions with landowners do not work out then we will have to follow the main road route right around to Gerehu.
“That would be about an additional 5-6km but that is the only option left.
“If we do not succeed with our negotiations with the landowners then we don’t have any other options but to follow the route of the highway,” Oa said. He said the transmission lines would cost about K45 million and the construction of the Gerehu substation was K15 million so the total was K60 million.
“If we build that line we will also build their distribution system so the landowners can access power.”