The Rural Electrification Program by PNG Power Limited aims to bring reliable electricity to remote and underserved communities across Papua New Guinea. Access to electricity in rural areas is essential for improving living standards, supporting education, healthcare, and small businesses, and driving local economic development.
Under this program, PPL is implementing mini-grids, solar microgrids, and community-based energy solutions to ensure a stable and sustainable power supply. The project emphasizes not only infrastructure development but also community engagement, including training residents on safe and efficient electricity usage.
By partnering with local governments, NGOs, and development agencies, the Rural Electrification Program ensures that even the most remote villages benefit from modern electricity services. This initiative supports national development goals, reduces dependence on traditional energy sources like kerosene and diesel, and fosters environmental sustainability.
Key Benefits:
<ul>
<li>Improved access to lighting, healthcare, and education facilities</li>
<li>Empowerment of local businesses and economic activities</li>
<li>Safer, cleaner, and more reliable energy for daily life</li>
<li>Reduction of environmental impact through renewable energy adoption</li>
</ul>

Rural Electrification Program

Expanding electricity access to remote and rural communities across Papua New Guinea to promote inclusive development and improve quality of life.

The SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Implementation project focuses on deploying an advanced monitoring and control system to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and safety of power operations.
This project enables real-time monitoring of electrical networks, remote control of equipment, automated data collection, and quick fault detection. It helps improve operational visibility, reduce downtime, and ensure faster response to system abnormalities.
The implementation supports:
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<li data-start="686" data-end="731">
Real-time data acquisition and monitoring
</li>
<li data-start="732" data-end="779">
Remote control of substations and equipment
</li>
<li data-start="780" data-end="830">
Improved fault detection and outage management
</li>
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Enhanced operational efficiency and reliability
</li>
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Centralized system control and reporting
</li>
</ul>
This project plays a critical role in modernizing power infrastructure and supporting smart grid operations.
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<h3 data-start="1044" data-end="1095">✅ Short Version (For UI / Dropdown Description)</h3>
SCADA Implementation: Deployment of a real-time monitoring and control system to improve power network reliability, automation, and operational efficiency.

SCADA Implementation

The SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Implementation project focuses on deploying an advanced monitoring and control system to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and safety of power operations.
This project enables real-time monitoring of electrical networks, remote control of equipment, automated data collection, and quick fault detection. It helps improve operational visibility, reduce downtime, and ensure faster response to system abnormalities.
&nbsp;

The Naoro-Brown hydro power project has come a very long way and is getting off the ground with assessments, preparation and discussions happening between (PNG Power Ltd) PPL, consultants, donors, national government, landowners and other stakeholders.
In a recent consultation workshop held at Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby on 23 February 2016, PPL Acting CEO John Yanis explained that PPL is the implementer of the Component Two (2) of the planning phase of the energy sector development project.
&ldquo;Component Two (2) involves the provision of technical assistance for preparation and planning for power supply which includes preparation of Naoro-Brown hydro power plant, and implementation and improvement planning for additional power supply for the city of Port Moresby,&rdquo; Mr Yanis said.
The preparation of Naoro-Brown project commenced in 2012. Preparations involve strengthening the institutional capacity of the project implementing entity (PPL) in the areas of technical, financial, economical, legal, safety, social and environmental framework, drilling, grouting and preparation of the geotechnical baseline, assessment, communication, procurement and project management as required for the;
1. Preparation of the NaoroBrown hydro project 2. Selecting a Naoro-Brown project developer and, 3. Providing support through to financial close and any further technical assistance required for additional assessment and economic analysis.
&ldquo;Some of these institutional capacity strengthening programs have been ongoing for the last two years and still continues. We are implementing Part B of Component Two (2) and that is to improve planning for alternative hydro power supply for Port Moresby and that includes the Brown, Vonapa and Angabanga Rivers. We are here to make progress and I welcome the team from Multiconsult,&rdquo; Mr Yanis said.
PPL has engaged Multiconsult for the services of a transaction advisor (for 12 months) which will help with the implementation phase of the Naoro-Brown hydro power project. Multiconsult (United Kingdom) and partner King &amp; Spalding (Singapore) are assisting PPL with project development agreements, procurement processes and financing of the project that would work for PPL, government, donors, landowners and stakeholders that could benefit from this new hydro power project in the long term.
At the workshop, the consultants emphasized on the importance of project development agreements, government support, country&rsquo;s benefits, environmental and social requirements and issues relating to project development agreements for hydro power projects.
They stressed that the Naoro-Brown hydro power project was an important project and as transaction advisors, they would provide the best hydro power specialists, financial strategists, international and local legal advisors, environment and social experts.
&ldquo;Hydro power is a great business. If we are talking about renewable energy, hydro power is the way to go. It&rsquo;s durable, safe and sustainable but it must be done well. It&rsquo;s a very long term business. A hydro power site is a unique national asset. We only get one go at it and we&rsquo;ve got to do it well,&rdquo; Chris Grant, Senior Hydropower Specialist of Multiconsult and acting as the Consultant&rsquo;s Project Director made this statement during the workshop.
Mr Grant explained that there is a need to bring the private sector into the processes because the key to a good project is to have an appropriate balance between private sector investment and project development.
Mr Kelly Malone, partner of King &amp; Spalding (Singapore) and acting as the Consultant&rsquo;s Project Manager, spoke about the effects of hydropower in triggering investments. He said in the past five years, they have provided advice on more than 30 major hydro power projects in excess of 10,000 megawatts of installed capacity around the world.
&ldquo;We bring this experience here. It&rsquo;s not just legal but also commercial experience and together with Multiconsult, we have a capable team that can help PNG&rsquo;s Naoro-Brown hydro power project lift off as the first major hydro power project for the country,&rdquo; Mr Malone said.
PPL has divided the transaction process of the Naoro-Brown Hydro Power project into three (3) phases which would take relatively 14-16 months. The first phase basically involves working internally to share ideas, share lessons learned, get feedback, understand the local environment, identify important isses and come up with a concept that works for PPL and the government of PNG in terms of supporting this hydro project.
The second phase consists of two components including the preparation of the bid and transaction documents, and primarily involves the production of draft power purchase agreement (PPA) and power development agreement (PDA) on the transaction agreement side, and bidding and procurement processes.
Once a winning bidder is selected and PPL/PDA signing are completed, the transaction process with reach its final stage of financial close. This is where the selected bidder will raise the debt financing and the equity required to fund the project. This process would take 14-16 months before the project begins.
According to World Bank Country Director Stefanie Stallmeister, PNG is one of the countries with the least electrification rate in the world but PNG has a tremendous potential in renewable energy including hydro power ranging from small rivers to large hydro projects
&ldquo;Hydro power offers the prospects of clean, renewable and sustainable as well as cost effective energy so the social and environmentally preparation for this kind of development would make a significant contribution for the economic and social development of the country. Hydro power projects, as we know from global experience, can also be catalyst for local development in the surrounding areas.
&ldquo;PPL has now engaged Multiconsult for the services of a transaction advisor which will help us with the implementation phase of this project. This technical assistance in our view is really a win-win situation for government as well the private sector because the balanced project development agreement which will be developed in this process will hopefully surface a template for future investments and therefore also provide the clarity for investors which is required to move projects forward, so I think this is really a major step and will have a better outcome as expected. Maximising the development impact of a hydro power dam is a journey, not a destination so I wish everybody safe travels on this journey and I am very privileged that the World Bank is part of this process,&rdquo; Stefanie said.
History - the Naoro-Brown was identified as the next hydroelectric project to be developed for the Port Moresby power grid in 1894, but customer load demand did not grow as quickly as was forecast at that time, so the capacity has not been required. Nevertheless, PPL have continued to plan (most recently in the 2014-2028 Fifty Year Power Development Plan) for Naoro-Brown as the next major hydroelectric development for the Port Moresby grid. To that end, a series of studies were undertaken over the years, culminating in a detailed feasibility study including geotechnical investigations completed in August 2015.

Naoro-Brown Hydro Power Project

The Naoro-Brown hydro power project has come a very long way and is getting off the ground with assessments.

PNG Power Ltd (PPL) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are into their final stages of researching, studying, assessing and formulating the Ramu System Power Development Master Plan (RSPDMP) and Lae Area Distribution Network Improvement Project (LADNIP).
Funded by JICA, the study began in October 2014 and the JICA study team in close coordination with PPL has been conducting the study to improve power supply reliability on the Ramu Power Grid.
The master plan aims to address issues relating to power shortages, unstable power supply, uncertainty of demand forecast and high power losses on the grid.
The study has two components (and will cover period 2016 -2030) to:
1. Produce an optimised Power Generation and Network Expansion Plan for the whole of Ramu System and; 2. Develop a Lae Distribution Network Improvement Plan.
The JICA study team made a presentation of the Draft Final Report (DFR) at the 04th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) on Tuesday, 8 March 2015 at Holiday Inn, Port Moresby. The purpose to the 04th JCC meeting was to briefly explain the findings and outcome of the study carried out since 2014.
This meeting was attended by JICA&rsquo;s newly appointed Country Chief Representative, Deputy Secretary of Department of Petroleum &amp; Energy, management and staff of PPL, officials from Kumul Consolidated Holdings (formerly IPBC), Department of National Planning, Monitoring &amp; Implementation, Environment &amp; Conservation and other government officials.
From the findings, JICA&rsquo;s Power Development Plan Team Leader Mr Yukao Tanaka revealed that in order to strengthen power supply reliability in the Ramu Grid, the current power plants with poor fuel efficiency needed to be replaced, and existing hydro power plants be refurbished or rehabilitated as a short-term counter measure to increase supply capacity.
For long-term measures, the study team recommended for the development of large scare hydro power plants such as Ramu 2 and Mongi-Bulum hydro power stations and other power plants utilizing natural resources, and to construct high voltage transmission lines to deliver power generated to major power demand centres within the Ramu Grid especially Lae City.
For the Lae Area Distribution Network Improvement Project, the JICA study team recommended for PPL to introduce Sequential Switching Network (SSS) for Lae distribution network.
Installation of SSS will shorten the outage and restoration time as it will automatically detect the faulty section of the grid and automatically supply power to the areas where the distribution line is not affected. This distribution plan has been formulated to cope with the power demand of 2030.
PPL Acting Chief Operating Officer, Martin Bigiglen said that the study was very important amidst the sudden power demand in the country&rsquo;s second biggest city.
&ldquo;Lae is a growing city which needed a lot more investment with regards to its power needs,&rdquo; Mr Bibiglen said.
He said that it is very important that this is done and it was welcoming to have everyone talking about the issues affecting the Ramu power grid.
&ldquo;I thank the JICA team for doing a very good job which will help PPL achieve its plans,&rdquo; said Mr. Bigiglen.
Director of Energy at the Department of Petroleum and Energy, Vore Veve said that his team was basically dealing with the policy front whereby requirements were to be met with the National Electrification Rollout Plan.
&ldquo;This will basically compliment the work that the National Government is doing and I would like to thanks all partners for carrying out this work,&rdquo; said Mr. Veve.
JICA Chief Representative, Takashi Toyama said that he was happy to see the excellent achievement by PPL , DPE and NEWJEC in putting together the master plan.
&ldquo;I am sure that the master plan will enable the system to have adequate energy to increasing the demand in the commercial capital in PNG.
&ldquo;This will be the guide to efficiently and effectively upgrade and expand the existing power system in Lae and I am confident that the system will provide much more stable power supply.
Mr. Toyama said that this was a possible way of reducing the power outages and this means that PPL will be able to upgrade its power facilities at a minimum cost and have a more stable power supply.

Ramu System Power Development

PNG Power Ltd (PPL) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are into their final stages of researching.

Civil works for the Edevu hydro power plant has already begun and progressing well as planned.
This power generation project was identified in earlier studies as the Lower Brown power projects and has been promoted in the past few years by an independent power producer (IPP) developer.
Feasibility study including preliminary engineering, hydrology and geotechnical investigations have been done and an environmental permit obtained.
In November 2015, the PPL Board of Directors approved for this project subject to confirmation by Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KHC) and the National Executive Council (NEC).
This hydro plant is being constructed by PNG Hydro Development Ltd (PNGHDL) and will generate 50 Megawatts (MW) for the increasing load demand in Port Moresby.
PNGHDL Managing Director Allan Guo said the construction of the project is a challenge but his team will hopefully complete the project in the next two years.
&ldquo;We built the access road and a bridge to make it easy for us. If every things goes as planned, we will be ready to generate power supply for Port Moresby and Central Province in 2018,&rdquo; Mr Guo explained during a media tour in February 2016.
The K640 million Edevu Hydro Power Project would provide an additional 50MW to boost current power supply in Port Moresby.
This project would not only benefit residents with power but would also be an alternative source of water.
PNGHDL will also be constructing the Edevu-Moitaka transmission line which will transport the 50MW from Edevu and 80 MW from Naoro-Brown hydro power plants.

Edevu Hydro

Civil works for the Edevu hydro power plant has already begun and progressing well as planned.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and PNG Power Limited have begun consultations with business on expanding renewable energy sources in Papua New Guinea with a proposal for a pilot rooftop solar program in the capital, Port Moresby.
The move follows a request by PNG Power for IFC to build on its successful off-grid solar program, Lighting PNG, to help the power company&rsquo;s business customers access a pilot program. The aim is to initially allow about two percent of peak demand for electricity in Port Moresby to be generated from rooftop solar.
<ul>
<li>For more information please Download PDF &gt;&gt; <a href="https://cms-ppl.server247.info/framework/uploads/Projects/ppl_solar-program.pdf">download PDF document here</a></li>
<li>Download PDF &gt;&gt; <a href="https://cms-ppl.server247.info/framework/uploads/Projects/PNG_Power_Solar_Rooftop_Scheme_-_2-page_application_form_14_Dec_2018_FinalPPL.pdf">Application for Installation of grid-connected Solar Photovoltaic Systems</a></li>
<li>Download PDF &gt;&gt; <a href="https://cms-ppl.server247.info/framework/uploads/Projects/PNG_Power_Solar_Rooftop_Scheme_-_Final_Notice_Dec_2018.pdf">Notice on grid-connected Solar Photovoltaic System in Papua New Guinea</a></li>
</ul>

PNG Power Pilot Rooftop Solar Program

PNG Power Rooftop Solar Project by PNG Power and IFC

Papua New Guinea National Energy Access Transformation Project
The Papua New Guinea National Energy Access Transformation Project (NEAT or the &lsquo;Project&rsquo;) will be financed by the World Bank and implemented by the National Energy Authority (NEA) and PNG Power Limited (PPL). The project will support the GoPNG in achieving its energy access target through investments in on-grid electrification, sustainable renewable energy mini-grids, private sector-led off-grid market promotion, and institutional development.
The Project consists of four components:
<ul>
<li>Component 1: Rehabilitation, resiliency enhancement of PPL infrastructure, and on-grid electrification &ndash; This component will improve the capacity and reliability of electricity services and increase household (HH) connections for electrification and, through the PPP scheme, facilitate private sector involvement. This component has three subcomponents: i) Subcomponent 1.1: Rehabilitation and modernization of distribution networks; ii) Subcomponent 1.2: Grid densification and expansion for household connections; and iii) Subcomponent 1.3: Pilot Public Private Partnership in PPL mini-grid clean energy modernization which includes the provision of Viability Gap Financing (VGF) to a private company that will build, operate, own, and transfer (BOOT) mini-grid, through PPL.</li>
<li>Component 2: Renewable energy micro-grids and rural energy market development &ndash; This component aims to expand energy access in remote communities that are not served by PPL. Subcomponent 2.1: Micro-grid systems aims to provide investment grants through NEA to private service providers to install, operate, and maintain RE-based micro-grid systems in rural areas. Subcomponent 2.2: Solar-home systems (SHSs) and products aims to increase the uptake of quality-verified SHSs and solar products in rural areas, through establishing a funding mechanism to provide catalytic grants and result-based financing (RBF) grants to eligible solar companies to extend their supply chains, develop markets, and scale-up the sales of certified off-grid solar energy kits.</li>
<li>Component 3: Energy sector institutional development. This component aims to strengthen PPL and NEA's capabilities to plan, survey, design, coordinate, and implement the NEROP to achieve the GoPNG&rsquo;s national energy access targets and to support the two entities in conducting strategic studies. Subcomponent 3.1. &lsquo;NEA institutional development&rsquo; will provide technical assistance for key studies for Project implementation, sector policy development, and related capacity building programs to be conducted by NEA. &nbsp;Subcomponent 3.2. &lsquo;PPL institutional development&rsquo; will provide technical assistance for site identification and pre-feasibility studies for small hydropower and other variable RE, and support for technical capacity development of PPL.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Component 4: Project management &ndash; This component aims to support the respective project management by NEA and PPL.</li>
</ul>
 The project&rsquo;s <a href="https://cms-ppl.server247.info/framework/uploads/Projects/P173194_PNG_NEAT_ESCP_Feb2024.pdf">Environmental and Social Framework (ESMF)</a> will serve as the Project&rsquo;s umbrella for environmental and social management. This ESMF aims to guide NEA and PPL on the environmental and social screening of the Project activities and subsequent environmental and social assessment and management of these activities during project preparation, design, and implementation. Other key E&amp;S instruments include the <a href="https://cms-ppl.server247.info/framework/uploads/Projects/P173194_PNG_NEAT_ESCP_Feb2024.pdf">Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP)</a>; <a href="https://cms-ppl.server247.info/framework/uploads/Projects/P173194_PNG_NEAT_SEP_Feb2024.pdf">Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP)</a>; Land Access and Resettlement Framework (LARF); Labour Management Procedure (LMP) &ndash; refer to ESMF Annex; and Indigenous Peoples&rsquo; Policy Framework (IPPF) &ndash; refer <a href="https://cms-ppl.server247.info/framework/uploads/Projects/P173194_PNG_NEAT_ESMF_Annexes_Feb2024.pdf">ESMF Annex</a>.

National Energy Transformation Project

<h3>EXECUTIVE SUMMARY</h3>
Introduction
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Energy Utility Performance and Reliability Improvement Project (EUPRIP) (the Project) will comprise the following four components: Component 1 &ndash; Urgent Rehabilitation / Upgrade of PPL Infrastructure Component 2 &ndash; Implementation of Key Components of PPL&rsquo;s Performance Improvement Plan (&ldquo;PPL&rsquo;s Performance Improvement Plan&rdquo;) Component 3 &ndash; Technical Assistance on Least Cost Power Development Plan Development and Implementation (&ldquo;Support to LCPDP implementation&rdquo;) Component 4 &ndash; Project Management Support
The Project aims to establish the building blocks for electrification through lowering the cost of supply and transforming Papua New Guinea Power Limited (PNG Power or PPL) into a better performing company and a capable agent for electrification. The Project is designed to achieve the practical outcomes of improving the operational performance of the state-owned enterprise responsible for energy generation and distribution within PNG (PPL) and improve the reliability of electricity supply in areas served by the Project.
The Project forms part of a broader initiative of PPL, which has recently started to invest in strengthening and expanding its system, including additional support to PPL in the preparation of the Naoro-Brown Hydropower Project (Naoro-Brown HPP), a proposed 80MW run-of-river project, and development of a suitable gas-to-power project in the Southern Highlands and investing in network expansion. Rehabilitation of existing non-performing hydropower schemes is also being considered. The project is categorized as Category A under OP4.01 because a portion of the technical assistance funds under Component 3 will support the Naoro-Brown HPP.
The Project will be supported by US$30 million in IBRD financing blended with reimbursable Global Infrastructure Fund (GIF) grant(s), and possibly other, as yet to be determined, funding sources. The ESMF was consulted on in February 2019 and disclosed on PPL&rsquo;s and the World Bank&rsquo;s website in March 2019.
For more information <a href="https://cms-ppl.server247.info/framework/uploads/Projects/ESMF_EUPRIP0Rev5_Aug29_(clean).pdf">download PDF</a> document here

PNG Energy Utility and Performance Reliability Improvement Project (P167820) ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK (ESMF) Revision 5 PNG Power Limited August 2019

<ul>
<li>
Project Overview: This project involves the installation of 45km of new power lines and 15 pole-mounted transformers.
</li>
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Milestones: 1. Site Survey and Clearing: Jan - Feb 2025. 2. Pole Planting and Hardware Installation: March - June 2025. 3. Stringing and Commissioning: July 2025.
</li>
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Impact: Bringing reliable electricity to local schools and healthcare clinics for the first time.
</li>
</ul>

Rural Electrification Extension - Western Province

Expansion of the low-voltage grid to connect over 200 households in the remote Western Province villages.

Our Projects