PNG’S LAE CITY FACES THREE-WEEK POWER OUTAGE
Breakdown of generators blamed

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Aug. 20, 2008) – Power blackouts hit Lae - PNG’s industrial hub - as PNG Power Limited rationed the limited supply of electricity to the city.

The latest power crisis was due to the breakdown of two power generators at the Yonki Hydro system. The crisis is to go on for three weeks and business houses in Lae are expected to dig deeper into their budgets.

The failure of the generators came at a time when PNG Power was short-supplying towns in the Highlands and Mamose including Lae City with their electricity needs.

Electricity produced from its Ramu and Paunda hydro systems and generators in Madang, Milfordhaven in Lae and Mendi produced a total output of 69 megawatts -- 9 megawatts short of the 78MW required during peak hours in areas the company covers.

PNG Power was working on its machine No. 5 at the Yonki hydro system to boost the supply by an additional 12MW and it was expected to be back on line by this month but it is known at this stage if this machine was in operation.

"The men are still working on the machines. It is going to take sometime," a source with PNG Power in Lae said last night.

According to information supplied by the Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Yonki Hydro system produces 42MW, boosted by another 8MW from the Paunda hydro system.

A total of 19MW was produced from its available thermal standby generators in Lae City, Madang and Mendi. Its generators at Milfordhaven in Lae produce 14 MW, Madang produces 4MW and Mendi 1MW.

In the current crisis facing Lae, electricity supply to this industrial city was disrupted when two machines producing 30MWs broke down at its Yonki hydro system and since Sunday PNG Power carried out load shedding.

Lae city requires 26.5MW during peak hours and the generators at the Milfordhaven plant can only produce 13.5MWs. As a result, companies were forced to use their own standby generators to supply power their businesses.

"It is costing us money on fuel and if this continues into the third week like PNG Power says in today’s (yesterday) paper, we are going to have to up the price of some of our goods to cover the cost," a major retailer said.

Homes were also affected. Apart from the constant power blackouts, homes ran out of water because pumps working the city’s main water supply were cut off.

PNG Power public relations advised the public in Lae and surrounding areas that load shedding was being carried out due to the shortfall in generation from the Yonki power station on Monday.

"The load shedding will be carried out for three weeks until the machines are fixed and back on line."

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