Hydro-Electricity For Moresby

Moresby

Work has commenced on Port Moresby’s hydro-electricity project at Rouna Falls, about 25 miles from the town. In May, there was little to show in the way of completed work except the commence ment of the reinforced concrete channels, shown here, top left. But a considerable amount of preliminary work such as

making a road to the foot of Rouna Falls, and surveying the route from the bottom of the falls to the out-fall at the top of Bugg’s Leap—had been done.

Hornibrooks Constructions, Ltd., who have undertaken the contract, expect that there will be little work “left to worry about” in 12 months.

The scheme is very simple; it requires no expensive dams, spillways or pumping equipment. W 7 ater enters four-feet pipes at the pool below the falls (shown top right) and in pipes and in one mile of cement channel, flows naturally to the point of fall at Bugg’s Leap. In this 1%

miles, there is a fall of 12 feet.

The water will then plunge, in a single pipeline, down 150 feet from about the point marked X in the lower photograph, to the powerhouse below and will gene rate 3,000 killowatts of electricity. The output can be almost doubled when necessary, by installing double pipelines for the fail from Bugg’s Leap, instead of the single pipe as planned at present.

When in full operation, this should take care of Port Moresby’s electricity require ments now and in the future.

Bugg’s Leap is the unofficial name for the point marked X on the Port Moresby

Rouna Falls-Sogeri road. At this point, where Moresby’s* future hydro pine-line leaves the road to carry the water down to the turbines below, Mr. and Mrs. Bugg leapt off in their car last year. The Buggs, who were unscathed by the ex perience, have now left the country but what remains of their car can still be seen outside a garage in Moresby—a mute and grim warning to motorists who drive the Rouna road at night. Although they have departed, they have now be come part of history and it seems their name will stick. Better this, anyway, than this point be named prosaically for some

passing politician.

The photograph of the falls herewith, gives them an unfortunate fore-shortened appearance. In fact, they are a mag nificent spectacle. There are other falls in P-NG, notably Beaver Falls which one flies over on the way to Lake Kutubu. but Rouna is get-atable, with a motor road now right to the bottom of them. There is nothing to compare with them in the rest of the South Pacific Islands.