Plans for clean energy project

 AN innovative clean and sustainable energy project has been in its feasibility planning stage over the past five years in Markham Valley, 

Morobe, according to Aligned Energy. 

Managing director Michael Henson said the project costing K20 million was funded by Oil Search Ltd in partnership with the company. 

“The joint venture energy project is called PNG Biomass and is over half way into its plans to grow 21 million wood chip trees on underutilised grassy land in the Markham Valley to fire its proposed steam engines to generate 30MW (megawatts) of electricity,” he said. 

“The plan would be to provide clean energy to PNG Power which PNG Power can then sell to its existing customers in the Ramu Grid. 

“Productive discussions have been ongoing between PNG Biomass and PNG Power and it is hoped that a deal will be signed this year.”

Henson said Oil Search saw this as an important project to pursue because it already exported PNG Gas and Oil to overseas countries and so it was only fair that it invested in local energy solutions as well. 

Henson said PNG Biomass project had added benefit of being able to currently pay its landowners for growing the trees.