Prime Minister James Marape will commission the 132kv Highlands Transmission Line at the Keltiga Substation in Mt Hagen today, marking a milestone in strengthening Papua New Guinea’s national electricity grid and improving power reliability across the Highlands region.
The Highlands 132kV Transmission Line forms part of a major national grid investment that began in 2018 and has progressed through several phases before reaching its commissioning stage in 2026.
The project upgrades the historic 66kV transmission corridor to a modern 132kV high-voltage backbone, allowing the system to transmit larger volumes of electricity across the Highlands with improved reliability and reduced technical losses.
Prime Minister Marape said the commissioning represents an important step in the Government’s efforts to modernise the national electricity grid and expand reliable power access to more Papua New Guineans.
“This project strengthens the backbone of our national electricity system and brings more stable, reliable and affordable power to our Highlands provinces,” said Marape.
“Reliable electricity is essential for economic growth, business development, and improving the quality of life for our people.”
The transmission corridor runs approximately 189 kilometres from Mt Hagen to Tari, supported by around 448 transmission towers across challenging Highlands terrain, and includes the construction and upgrading of key substations at Keltiga, Kaupena/Paunda, Mendi (Tindimi), and Tari (Wabia).
Overall investment in the Highlands grid backbone exceeds PGK 1 billion, with financing arrangements including concessional support from the Export–Import Bank of China and counterpart funding from the Government of Papua New Guinea.
“Our Government is not only investing in roads through the Connect PNG programme, but also in other key enabling infrastructure such as electricity, ports, telecommunications and water systems that are essential to supporting economic growth and development across our country,” said Marape.
The commission event will be hosted by PNG Power Limited, Kumul Consolidated Holdings, and the Ministry for State Enterprises.