New generator to address power outages in Wabag

Wabag town and the surrounding areas have a new generator installed at Rakamanda to maintain the power supply during power interruptions.
PNG Power acting managing director Carolyn Blacklock and Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas commissioned the generator on Sunday.
Customers in Wabag are connected to the Ramu grid supplied by the Ramu Hydro power station at Yonki.
Transmission or distribution line faults along the Highland Highway affects the supply to Wabag.
Tthis standby generator will quickly restore supply in such situations.
The power station at Keas, in Wabag town, is within a residential area and is not in operation. It would be relocated to Rakamanda in the future.
Blacklock said that PNG Power is going to become different business.
“PNG Power will still be in the business of making sure everyone has electricity and will do it in ways which make sense, modern, efficient, renewable and affordable,” she said.
“You need to be on Easipay meters, we shouldn’t have meter readers running around reading meters as it’s something of the past.
“PNG Power needs to modernize, and in doing so we are able to deliver a much more efficient power proposition for much less cost.
“We have not been investing enough in Enga. I know that if we invest here, we’ll get our money back and support the province’s rise in infrastructure development.”
Sir Peter said the generator was installed three years ago but encountered a technical issue and did not generate power.
Enga government also built a staff house for the PNG Power operators.
He said under Blacklock’s management, it took two weeks for the generator to work.