By Clifford Faiparik
The Edevu hydro dam project that will generate 50 megawatts of power to help ease the current chronic electricity problems in Port Moresby, is expected to be completed in four months’ time, Vice Treasurer and Kairuku-hiri MP Peter Isoaimo says. Isoaimo said that when meeting with the landowners at the project site in Brown River in the Central province.
He said that when the project comes on by mid this year, it would help the Sirinumu hydro dam to provide electricity to Port Moresby and central province.
“The K500 million project funded by Chinese investors in my electorate (Kairuku-Hiri) is a big investment and will bring many benefits tp the landwoners and slo residences, government and business houses in Port Moresby,” Isoaimo said.
“The project can also address power supply problems in Central and even Gulf.
“The project will also generate over K30 million per annum for the National government though PNG Power Ltd.
“The Sirinumu hydro dam also in my electorate, has a capacity to produce 54 megawatts, but due to aging equipment and the limited water capacity, the electricity provided fluctuates between 110-120 mg daily. So this new Edevu hydro dam at the headwaters of Brown River is another alternative hydro power scheme apart from the existing Sirinumu dam at the Laloki River headquarters.”
Earlier on the Chinese developer of Edevu hydro power dam project thanked the landowners for a transparent negotiation resulting in PNG Power Limited’s approval of the project.
PNG Hydro development Chairman Allan Guo said that he never gave bribes to the landowners to entice them to push the company’s agenda.
“This is because our company provides transparency and good governance.
“You all will testify that I never gave any money to you (landowners) since negotiations started in 2013 to get this project off the ground”, Guo said.
“Yes, you did ask me for money. But I told you that you have to work first before I pay you. And after a hard t2o years of negotiations with landowners’ consultants, we were able to get PNG Power to approve this project on December 13. 2015. I want to thank you because of your strong Christian background as the negotiation was transparent.”
During the celebration with the Edevu hydro power project landowners of the signing of the PNG power purchase agreement with PNG Power, Guo said that the Brown River has been there since creation and would now generate money for landowners.
Guo said that former Prime Minister Peter O’Neil, former State Enterprises and Public Investments Minister Ben Micah, former Justice Minister and Attorney-General Davis Stevens and former National Planning Minister Richard Maruhas visited this project, about 40km from Port Moresby, and were satisfied with it.
