Landowners use ‘biomass’ rental to buy truck

THE renewable energy project by PNG Biomass in the Markham Valley of Norobe is already delivering real community benefits even before the construction of the power plant has started.
Earlier this week, landowners of Utsiap became proud owners of a brand-new three-tonne Isuzu truck.
This was purchased from their first land rental payment for the first 1000 hectares of their land leased to PNG Biomass.
Chairman of landowner company Utsiap Holdings Limited Andrew Kising said spending the first money was a hard decision, but they discussed it with their families and decided that purchasing the vehicle was a smart business investment.
The vehicle will be contracted by Utsiap Holdings Ltd to PNG Biomass for transportation of materials to Utsiap Plantation.
It will create a good income stream for the landowner company. Utsiap landowners are the first in the Markham Valley to have released over 1000ha of land since PNG Biomass went into commercial planting earlier this year.
The project is working closely with landowners to establish 16,000ha of plantation land with over 20 million trees in the Markham Valley as
fuel supply for a 30MW biomass power plant for the Ramu grid.
PNG Biomass stakeholder engagement manager Jessie Mitir said Utsiap landowners’ smart investment is just one of the many benefits of the PNG Biomass project.
“Many power projects in PNG are just ideas on paper,” Mitir said.
“We are already operating, establishing our plantations, paying landowners, and creating real income streams and benefits for our local communities.
“Our project is built around the idea of inclusive rural economy growth.”