Wärtsilä to secure base-load power supply to community and businesses in Papua New Guinea

Wärtsilä to secure base-load power supply to community and businesses in Papua New Guinea 1

Wärtsilä will be responsible for the full operation and maintenance of NiuPower’s power plant running on clean-burning natural gas near Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, for up to the next five years. The Port Moresby Power Station provides highly efficient and flexible base-load power supply to stabilise the Port Moresby System. The power plant will start operating in January 2019.

The Operation and Maintenance Agreement between Wärtsilä and *NiuPower Limited, signed in July 2018, is an extension of the ongoing relationship between the two companies. Under the agreement, Wärtsilä takes full responsibility for the operations of the 58MW power plant, which is the first ever utility-scale gas-engine powered plant in Papua New Guinea. The operation and maintenance of the plant is remotely supported by Wärtsilä Expertise Centres. The power plant will operate on six Wärtsilä 34SG engines, providing a reliable source of base load power for the local grid.

“The main target of our agreement with Wärtsilä is to ensure we have access to the experience and expertise essential to ensure reliable operations of our facility. Once online, the NiuPower Port Moresby Power Station will greatly improve the reliability of the Port Moresby power grid and, we have been advised by our customer PNG Power, will reduce the cost of power supply into the grid by up to PGK100 million (EUR27 million) per annum. This project uses PNG produced clean-burning natural gas and will materially reduce both the cost of and emissions from power generation in the country. NiuPower are immensely proud of leading this development,” says Richard Robinson, CEO, NiuPower PNG Ltd.

“The transition towards cleaner energy production is essential for preserving the environment for future generations. The agreement with NiuPower fully supports Wärtsilä’s mission to enable sustainable societies with smart technology. As part of our social responsibility program in Papua New Guinea, we will over time enhance the competencies of NiuPower’s local personnel in operating and maintaining the power plant,” says Rey Santos, Managing Director, Wärtsilä Australia Pty Ltd.

Press Releases: Wärtsilä Corporation

Photo Courtesy: Wärtsilä Corporation

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