The new Edevu Hydro Power project construction is on schedule with all work expected to be completed by the end of September.
PNG Hydro Development Limited Managing Director Mr Allan Guo stated that Edevu Hydro Power Station will be supplying about 132 kilovolts (kv) to Moitaka Power station, where it will receive 132 kv where Moitaka will become substation to Edevu Hydro Power Station.
“Edevu will be transmitting 132 kilovolts to Moitaka Substation and then from Moitaka out will be 66 kilo volts.”
The whole Moitaka Power station is now under critical transmission construction, where there will be a State-of-the-Art Control room and Regulating Room as well as Transmission Towers.
“The cable track is designed for conservation and the whole transmission line of the structure lines are high standard so it can supply for the whole Port Moresby for many years to come,” said Mr Guo.
Mr Guo highlighted that total number of towers of the main transmission lines built from Edevu to Moitaka Substation is 104.
“Work on erecting towers and stringing the lines has been completed for towers 1-39, however from tower 39- 89 towers have been erected already but without stringing.”
“By this week contractors will be working on tower 90-95.”
With Edevu Hydro coming on board this should help stop frequent blackouts in the Nation’s Capital.
PNG Power Chairman Mr McRonald Nale reiterated that PNG Power is now tapping into Renewable Energy supply, and they have two aims.
“Firstly, we want to make this environmentally friendly because we are looking at going green and secondly, we want to supply cheap power and that is basically to put off the use of generators.”
Mr Nale added that right now in most cases PNG Power Limited has been doing Load Shedding but with Edevu Hydro, it will supply 54 mega watts into the Port Moresby Grid, and this is 2 x turbines each producing 27 megawatts.
“With Edevu’s biggest sized generating units with higher inertia, it will add stability to the Port Moresby Grid and Port Moresby will have an improved ability to with stand electrical shocks and disturbances therefore reducing network blackouts.”
He said with high inertia machines from Edevu, this will significantly reduce total system outages caused by network cascading effects.
Right now, all construction is on schedule and all work should be completed by September 2023.
“PNG Power will do official technical commissioning and will run a full operation for three days before the final test and official commissioning and full generation of power should be in October.”