Pacific Environment Community Fund project

This Pacific Environment Community Fund project has progressed ahead of schedule on the islands of Bipi and now, Mbuke and Whal.

National desalination project manager, Tom Anayabere, said all Sojitz engineers, who are in charge of the installation of the plants, departed Lorengau on Nov 29. They left for Japan via Port Moresby for their three-week Christmas break.

They will return early January 2017 to continue with the remedial works on Whal Island, installation and final checks on Mbuke and Bipi.

This Pacific Environment Community Fund project is the first of its kind in the country that aims to ensure islanders have access to a sustainable and reliable water supply system.

Six solar powered desalination plants have been successfully installed and commissioned on Bipi which produces a total water capacity of 720L per hour.

“That’s equivalent of 4,320 litres per day of fresh desalinated drinking water,” says Project manager Tom Anayabere.