PNG Power needs money to repair power poles, lines
By DALE LUMA
PNG Power Ltd’s most pressing issue right now is the power poles and lines which need to be repaired or replaced, says managing director Flagon Bekker.
Bekker said company workers knew know what to do to address the power outages but the company needed funding to implement its plans in the short term.
But in the long term, funding required would run into “hundreds of millions of kina”.
“The problem is that we have old equipment,” Bekker said.
“Our pressing problem is not the megawatts, not the power stations (but the) poles and wires.
“You can have power stations but those electrons have to get from the power station to your home.
“You can have all the power stations you want but if the poles and wires do not work, it doesn’t matter.”
Bekker said the three choices were: Repair it, replace it or refurbish it.
“We are going to do a mixture of all three,” he said
“We are going to be buying parts and start going to the grids and start replacing things on a regular basis.
“And to do that, we will need money.
“We are working with our owner to source that money.
“In the short term, you are looking at hundreds of millions of Kina.
“In the longer term, you are looking at hundreds of millions of US dollars.
“It doesn’t have to come at the same time.
“It can come at certain stages.
“It all depends on what happens in the short term.”
4 comments
Good, then outsource any other support functions of the value of the organization to free cost so you can save some money to invest on the key areas or activities to avoid blackouts and stay economical.
Mr. CEO. PNGPL has the legal obligation to inform the rates payers and the general public about these problems the earliest than it does today after numerous complaints after complaints lodged with PNGPL and media outlets for over so long. Power outages is not the first time that happened this year, it has been an ongoing problem or issue over many years, yet not much nor nothing has been done to rectify such to improve the electricity supply to the city and other centers in PNG, which has affected so much on business houses as well the households. Enough of sitting on such matters and prolonging it for so long; it’s about time starting putting corrective measures,
including securing funding to fix those issues or problems and improve the Services. Enough of applying blame game tactic.
Nothing is free on earth, people should get paid for doing the job nothing being paid for doing nothing!
As a rate payers in the pom city, we have had our families, children etc suffered from continuous power outages relating to cooking studies, good sleep etc and we had to shouldered such by trying other ways to help ourselves for too long and we hope such matters should be given immediate attention by the power supplier to address them sooner than later.
Mr. CEO, under your current management, you ensure there is no more room inefficiency, lack of strategic planning and focusing, lack of proper coordination and effective management and application of all resources etc. This is to endure PNGPL must deliver the core responsibility, which is the efficient and quality electricity to the people and businesses in PNG.
It is time to think entrepreneurial. How cost effective should you be to remain economical. Focus on the key value chain of the organization and outsource support functions to free cost to cater for these repairs, refurbishment. This is iteration tales of past regime.
Can we start looking at other source of energy supply now? Too much talking has being going on for far too long. What about a wind farm or solar farm. Talk to the land owners around the country and come up with a workable solution that will benefit the land owner the country and most importantly the environment.
The start up can be cheaper than diesel plant or hydro plant and requires minimal maintenance which will reduce over heads spending.
Or better can the government introduce solar rebate so that every house hold, schools, institutions and business premises put solar panels on roof top uses what ever they can and put back surplus on to the grid for masses to use. In that way they get paid to produce power and ease up load on the grid.
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