The Port Moresby (POM) Power Station, the first-ever utility-scale gas engine project in Papua New Guinea, was recently inaugurated. In addition to enhancing the reliability of the local electricity grid, it will reduce the need for importing diesel and significantly reduce the carbon footprint of Papua New Guinea's energy generation.
The POM Power Station is a nation-building infrastructure project developed by NiuPower, a partnership between Oil Search Ltd. and Kumul Petroleum Holdings. The POM Power Station uses natural gas supplied by the PNG LNG project to feed six high-efficiency reciprocating gas engines and generators. It has the capacity to produce 58 megawatts of baseload power to the Port Moresby power grid through a new power line and substation network. This represents approximately 29 percent of the installed capacity of the Port Moresby system, and since no diesel will be required, NiuPower anticipates it will create annual savings of approximately 100 million Papua New Guinean kina ($42 million Australian). Clough, in consortium with Wärtsilä, was responsible for the EPC to develop the POM Power Station.
"The POM Power Station was completed on time and safely with no injuries or incidents to people or the environment, leaving a positive legacy to the local communities," said Clough CEO and Managing Director Peter Bennett. "This project is also contributing to the reduction of Papua New Guinea's carbon footprint, and we are very proud of our role in it."
"This power plant is an extremely important addition to Papua New Guinea's energy portfolio and will allow us to meet our economic and environmental targets for the project," said NiuPower CEO Michael Uiari. "We also appreciate the fact that the power plant was built according to the rather demanding time schedule, and again we thank both Wortsila and Clough for this."
For more information, visit www.cloughgroup.com or call (713) 267-5500.