No reason for city to still have blackouts: Power firm boss

By PETER ESILA
PNG Hydro Development Company managing director Allan Guo feels ashamed when people ask him why Port Moresby still has blackouts after he promised everyone that the Edevu plant would end power cuts.
“I myself felt ashamed when many people asked me why we have so many blackouts after I said earlier that there will be no more blackouts,” he said.
He was responding to the continuing disruptions to power supply in the capital city.
Guo said last year after the 54-megawatt Edevu hydro plant was connected to Port Moresby, that blackouts should be “a thing of the past”.
But the blackouts are continuing, and he hopes PNG Power can fix the problem.
“Blackouts create a big revenue loss for PNG Power. It makes people suffer and direct criticisms on the Government,” he said.
Guo said he meant what he said last year that there would be no more blackouts when the K650 million power plant was connected to the Port Moresby grid.
Parts of Port Moresby especially in Gerehu continued to experience regular blackouts the whole of last week, last weekend and on Monday.
He urged PNG Power to monitor its workers.
“If I were an officer, I would sleep on site to make sure the workers are doing their jobs,” he said.
“Getting the available two feeders connected from Moitaka should never take more than two months.”
Edevu was connected four months ago.
“Right now, there is guaranteed supply. Distribution has some technical issues, but can be easily dealt with if there is a strong will,” he said.
“PNG Power has certain good staff and I hope they can ensure power flows smoothly in the city.”
PNG Power acting chief executive officer Nehemaiah Naris said during the installation of a new transformer at the Konedobu substation in Port Moresby on Monday that there was a breakdown in the transformer at Konedobu two weeks ago.
“That is why we had to ration power from other power substations, hence, causing the recent blackouts,” he said.