PNG needs Edevu hydro dam project: Duma

PAPUA New Guinea needs foreign investors to fund high energy impact project like the Edevu hydro dam project in Central Province, State Enterprise Minister William Duma says. Minister Duma said Port Moresby city has grown with about one million residences and the existing power plant at Rouna is not producing sufficient power. “You must remember that the Sirinumu dam has no new river system to feed the dam to power the turbines,” he said. “The volume of water has decrease due to evaporation and the high rate of water consumption by the increased city residence. And so we need new investors to come and develop new high energy impact project like the Edevu hydro dam project at the Brown River headwaters in the Hiri District.” Duma said that he was disappointed over Australia and three other countries false hope in developing high impact energy projects in PNG. “In 2018 leaders of four countries including Australia during APEC agreed to help ensure that 70 per cent of the population in PNG will have electricity,” he said. “That was a political statement made by those leaders of the country with no proper documented process. Unfortunately after APEC till now, there is no documents signed by those countries with PNG Government despite attempt by our Prime Minister and myself to follow up. “What has happened lately is that. Those countries through their diplomatic mission have gone out and selected projects with no input and consultation with PNG Government through PNG Power. They have started with some projects like solar, biomed gas, with no input from our government.”