Photo credit: Autonomous Bougainville Government
Communities in Buka and Arawa will soon see improved access to stable, clean and sustainable electricity.
This follows the announcement of upgrades to the PNG Power electricity grids in Buka and Arawa yesterday.
Australian High Commissioner to PNG Jon Philp officially announced this support package yesterday in Buka, in the presence of ABG Minister for Technical Services, Dr Joseph Swuamaru, senior management of PNG Power Limited and the Bougainville administration.
The electricity support package totaling K50million will be implemented over the next eighteen months, and will see the immediate hire of new generators for Buka and Arawa to ensure stable power is provided for consumers.
“We will hire immediately in the next month or two months, new generators on a hire basis, for both Buka and Arawa to make sure you have the power you need now,” said High Commissioner Philp.
“Once those are installed, we will buy new generators for both Buka and Arawa to make sure there is sufficient power, to make sure it's stable and it runs at all times,” he said.
In addition to this, a feasibility study will be conducted to look at delivering long term solutions for the power needs in Bougainville. This will include further exploration into solar power.
ABG Minister for Technical Services Hon. Joseph Swuamaru acknowledged the ongoing support and partnership of the Australian government.
Minister Swuamaru highlighted that Bougainville continues to face significant challenges in its physical infrastructure, however Bougainville must ensure that it invests in developing its own resources to ensure that there is sustainability in donor-supported programs such as this for the energy sector.
“We should invest in developing our capabilities so that we sustain this support. That means investing in human resources, that means improving management,” he said.
Minister Swuamaru further explained that development of an Energy policy for Bougainville is currently underway and looks at technology-neutral options such as solar, hydro, wind, geothermal for the energy sector. He said that the Energy policy will promote a decentralized design of energy generation, transmission and distribution so that generation units can be set up right at the constituency and ward levels.
Article courtesy of the Autonomous Bougainville Government
