PNG Power Limited (PPL)

The financing will underpin network investment and hydro power upgrades.

PPL Acting Managing Director, Carolyn Blacklock, announced this during the PNG Investment Conference in Brisbane recently.

During her presentation, Blacklock announced the current plans with the ADB.

Blacklock said PPL has bold and aggressive plans that are focused on two areas:

1. Reduce tariff to around half of current levels, in the next 5 to 10 years;
2. Increase electrification to around 70 percent of population.

To achieve this, a new business model is needed.

The Commissioner said currently, core PPL infrastructure around the country are on intensive care unit and they are unsure how a tariff reduction will improve PPL’s services.

The comments follow statements by PPL acting managing director, Carolyn Blacklock last month that a reduction to the current tariff by half would make power accessible for many.

The transmission tower supplies power to Lae and Madang from the Ramu 1 powerhouse at Yonki.

However, it was toppled by a severe landslide in January 18, 2018, and disrupted power supply to customers in these two main regions.

This damage has also contributed to power instability in the Ramu Grid (Highlands, Lae and Madang) and it’s an urgent reconstruction project that PPL engineers are undertaking.  

The tower is located near the source of Singsing Creek, approximately two kilometres from the main Okuk Highway and impossible to access.

A ground breaking ceremony was held on Friday (Nov 10) to begin construction of a new 40 megawatt substation.

Speaking at the event, Minister for Public Enterprises and State Investment, William Duma, said the Kilakila substation project will include two components.

PNG Power Ltd's customers and business clients will not be able to purchase their Easipay on all vending sites, the mobile networks, including SMS and online banking, until the problem is fixed. 

The problem started since 10am, Monday, September 11.

"Our database, which stores all Easipay customer information, including meter number and tokens, are faulty and our ICT officers and our New Zealand vendor are currently working around the clock to have this rectified and restore the Easipay system," explains PPL in a recent statement.

That is the message from PPL chief executive officer Chris Bais when speaking at the opening of the company’s 2016 Managers Conference in Port Moresby.

The theme of the conference is “Overcoming Business Challengers” and will end on Friday.

Bais said the state-owned electricity supplier has many challengers and this is an opportunity for managers in the provinces to provide their experiences to help company forward.   

The last managers’ conference was held 10 years ago.