Big Power Scheme For

Ng Mainland

Prom an AAP-Reuter Correspondent in Port Moresby The Papua-New Guinea Electricity Commission has re commended a SA42 million hydro electricity scheme capable of supplying the whole of the New Guinea mainland.

THE scheme envisages six 12 mega watt generating sets, a 50,000million gallon capacity dam and diversion of the Highlands Highway.

The scheme will be located on the Upper Ramu River, 15 miles from Kainantu in the Eastern Highlands.

It will be 4,000 ft above sea level, with the main power stations con structed 700 ft underground.

Administration officials said recently that if the scheme was approved by the Australian Government, capital to finance the project might be sought from international bodies.

The Commissioner of the Papua- New Guinea Electricity Commission, Mr. J. A. Rutter, said the scheme would be easily the largest ever undertaken in the territory.

He said the station, when com pleted, would be able to supply the electrical needs of the Southern, Western and Eastern Highlands and all towns on the mainland of New Guinea. Areas of Papua outside the Highlands probably would not be supplied from the scheme.

Mr. Rutter said the scheme could be commissioned within five years of approval being given to start work.

The scheme was planned by the Commonwealth Department of Works, which recommended work should start as soon as possible on

the first stage of the No. 1 power station, comprising two 12-megawatt generating sets together with trans mission lines, etc. This would cost an estimated SA2I million.

The scheme envisaged that at a later stage a dam would be located about one mile upstream from the No. 1 power station.

This dam, with a capacity of 200.000 acre feet, would inundate 5.000 acres of land at present being used for plantations and grazing.

Mr. Rutter said it was also ex pected the design of the storage dam would be such that the Highlands Highway, which now crosses the land, would be diverted to pass over the crest of the dam.

The principal New Guinea main land towns of Lae and Madang are at present supplied with electricity from diesel plants.

The main Highlands towns of Goroka and Mt. Hagen receive sup plies from small local hydro plants.

Other centres received limited sup plies virtually only sufficient for electric light.

In most centres electrical appliances such as refrigerators and stoves can not be used.

Most factories have their own private plants.

Above is a panorama of the site of the proposed vast new hydro scheme designed to serve New Guinea mainland towns.

Kainantu is in the mountains on the left.