Miner to run power plant

By FRANK SENGE KOLMA
THE New Porgera Limited has agreed in principle to transfer the ownership of the Hides power station to the Hela provincial administration and relevant stakeholder landowners of the gas power plant site and electricity transmission line corridor communities.
In public presentations made in Tari from March 13 to 19, Porgera mine project operator Barrick stressed to the provincial administration, the power transmission landowners and the Hides gas generation plant landowners to participate to operate the business.
“The transfer is to take place within 12 months of Porgera reaching its first full month of production provide all conditions of the transfer are met,” the company said in a post.
“Barrick Niugini as operator of the New Porgera will continue to operate and manage the Hides power station.”
Chairman of Trans-Provincial Corporation Ltd Alfred Angapanga and deputy chairman Jack Walara welcomed the gesture by the New Porgera and Barrick.
Angapanga said the move formalised and guaranteed project security for the Porgera mine into the future.
He said rather than wait for the Hela government to invite the power plant landowners and the power transmission corridor landowners to formalise the arrangement it served the needs of the mine better if New Porgera/Barrick could assist with setting up an entity as part of its corporate social responsibility for these stakeholders to participate under the national content policy.
Angapanga noted that there were differences of opinion on who or how to organise the gas-to-electricity (GTE) project at present between the landowners and the provincial administration which could have spillover effects if left unresolved.
Angapanga said he wanted New Porgera and Barrick to assist with logistical support and to formalise the ownership of the GTE contract; formalise the contract itself; and move forward with signing the sales and purchase agreement. The chairman said New Porgera and Barrick would only be continuing an obligation that the Kumul Mineral Holdings had made under the New Porgera Framework Agreement of April 2021.
The framework agreement obligated KMH to supply GTE power to the mine. On Aug 31, 2021, KMH localised the GTE when it transferred its responsibility to GTE easement landowners at Tari witnessed by Barrick and the Prime Minister’s representatives.
Soon after, KMH incorporated the Trans-Provincial Corporation with participating interest drawn from power plant landowners, power transmission corridor and Porgera mine site landowners.