Marape opens K83mil hydropower project

PRIME Minister James Marape yesterday opened the K83 million 10-megawatt Warangoi hydro-power project in Pomio, East New Britain, assuring landowners that they would be paid the K5 million for the use of their land and water.
The rehabilitation of the project was made possible through the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government co-funded Town Electrification Investment Programme.
The contractors are the Dongfang Electric Corp and AG Investments JV. It will boost production at the Warongoi facility, originally commissioned in 1983 but had been supplying below its capacity of 10mw into the Gazelle grid.
Marape thanked the landowners for allowing electricity to flow to East New Britain in the past 39 years without demanding compensation.
“To the people of Sinivit, Baining, your Government will not let you down (in the K5 million you asked for),” he said.
Marape advised the landowners to ensure they all benefited from the funds, in preparation for the next phase of the project further up the Warangoi River.
Marape described East New Britain as “a very important part of our country” in the non-extractive industries such as agriculture, tourism, fisheries and sustainable forestry.
“In that context, we come to East New Britain not by accident, but by choice, because this is a very good foundation province to anchor our focus on rural-based industries like agriculture and downstream processing,” Marape said.
He was accompanied by East New Britain Governor Nakikus Konga, Pomio MP Elias Kapavore, Gazelle MP Jelta Wong, Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon, Vice-Minister for Treasury Win Daki, Kumul Consolidated Holdings Ltd chairman Moses Maladina, acting managing director Prof David Kavanamur and PPL acting chief executive officer Obed Batia.