PNG Power Limited (PPL) is carrying out load shedding in Lae city due to temporary shortfall in generation capacity, a press release issued yesterday (May 21) stated.
According to the press release, PPL has split the Ramu system and isolated the supply to Lae City from the Ramu Transmission System and the Ramu Hydro Power Station due to reliability issues.
The electricity supplier explained that although the overall reliability into the city area has increased, this does result in a shortfall in generation capacity which will need to be covered through load shedding.
“We would therefore like to advise Lae City residents that load shedding will be carried out at different times throughout the year until this is addressed. The city’s supply is now very reliant on the supply from Daewoo’s Diesel Power station at Munum outside Lae. It is important that maintenance work is carried out on these generators by Daewoo to be able to maintain their reliable operation.”
At the moment, PPL reported that there are four 8 megawatt generators at the Munum power station and each of them will be taken off the system for three days to undergo maintenance continuing until 29 May 2018.
PPL also reported that although they have been working on increasing the output of their own generators at Taraka and Milford, this planned essential maintenance will cause a further daily shortfall of up to 8 Megawatts and this must be covered through load shedding to ration the available supply so that all areas of Lae city do receive electricity supply through most of the day.
“We appeal to Lae City residents to bear with us while this maintenance work is being carried out. PPL is working on short, medium and long term plans to address this generation shortfall as well as reliability issues in its own generators and distribution and transmission systems.”
For further information, please contact the Call Center on 7090 8000 or 7500 8000.
Source: Press Release
