New Zealand help powers Hula

RURAL POWER

By KELVIN JOE
THE connection of electricity from the main grid in Port Moresby to rural homes in Hula, Rigo in Central have been triggering some high emotions among the villagers.
Living about 115km away to the west of the capital city, more than 30,000 people in Hula have felt the impact of change over the past few months following the completion of the PNG Power Ltd (PPL) Rural On-Grid Extension Project (ROGEP) recently.
The electricity connection project will now enable the community, including hospitals, schools, churches, local business houses and other government and non-governmental institutions to receive constant and reliable power supply.
People who are unwell together with elderly people, women and children will receive regular medical care as the community health extension officers (HEO) and nurses can attend to emergency cases – even late at night.
Teachers would work extra hours and prepare lessons for the next day, and the students would complete their homework, assignments and study in the evening.
The small to medium enterprise (SME) owners in the community are expected growth and profits unlike before.
And the people would store frozen goods, soft drinks and water in the refrigerators, access television programmes and news, have lighting, use electronic items, improve the flow of communication, and importantly to save costs associated with power generation.
The accomplishment of ROGEP was indeed a dream come true for the people in this remote part of Rigo district after more than 45 years since independence in 1975.
The project was supported by grant funding of NZ$20 million (about K48.54 million) through the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to enable PPL to deliver the project in Central last year.
Like many rural communities who were struggling daily to access electricity connection, government and private agencies, including churches, local business and people in Hula were depending on solar energy, generators and batteries to generate electricity to meet their needs needs over the years.
However, the PPL rural electricity connection programme would support public institutions such as schools, health centres and aid posts and non-governmental organisations like churches and local business to maintain operations and empower the delivery of basic services effectively. It would also provide economic and social benefits to the majority of the people through the provision of electricity supply with increased access to clean, efficient and affordable energy at home.

The ROGEP has complemented the improved road network from the Gabagaba junction of the Magi Highway to Hula, following the K40 million major road upgrade and sealing project by the Works Department through the second phase of World Bank-funded Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Project (RMRPII) in 2020.
Bina Primary School head teacher Baena Tau said everyone throughout communities in Hula were happy because electricity was an important service that would improve lives in terms of education, health and business activities.
Tau said schools, aid posts and small business like trade stores, tyre repairs and poultry farms depended on fuel to generate power to keep operating over the years.
He said the connection of electricity to Bina primary and elementary schools and aid post in Riwali village would improve student learning, health officers’ work and enable teachers to prepare lessons and do extra work at night.
“Now with electricity connection we would be able to work effectively,” Tau said.
Rose Bala, a local woman was emotional when she switched on the lights after PNG Power Ltd (PPL) connected electricity to her family home during a media tour to the Hula rural electrification project site on Dec 17, 2021.
She said her family had been living without electricity for more than 10 years they had been in the area, but she was grateful and overjoyed that they finally had power for lights and other household uses.
“I thank PPL for making it possible for my family to access electricity,” she said.
According to rural on-grid extension project engineer James Tiki, electricity has been connected to about 95 per cent of homes in Riwalirubu, Babagarubu and Galomarubu villages in Rigo Coastal LLG.
Taki said the project covered 15 villages in the 13 wards and would benefit more than 30,000 people.
He said the project involved main grid extension, low voltage and household connections and meter installations.
He said education institutions including a high school, primary and elementary schools along with aid posts, trade stores, churches and semi-permanent and high covenanent homes at Hula had been receiving electricity.
Taki said the project covered low voltage power extended from Sabusa to Brown River in Kairuku-Hiri, low voltage reticulation and service connection from Tubusereia to Kwikila and main line extension and household connection at Hula in Rigo.
Through the ROGEP, about 85km of 22kv power distribution lines were constructed with low voltage reticulation to connect 5,600 targeted rural dwellings including schools, aid posts, churches, trade stores and local businesses.
The activities under the ROGEP were part of the Government’s Medium-Term Development Plan-2013 target of achieving 70 per cent household electrification rate for the country by 2030.
Hula will now benefit from an effective flow of basic government services while the lives of ordinary people can be improved significantly through the completion of PPL-ROGEP last month.