NCD Governor, Powes Parkop, has called for urgent and lasting solutions to the ongoing power challenges affecting Port Moresby and other provincial capitals around the country.
The Governor convened a high-level stakeholders’ meeting yesterday at APEC House with PNG Power Limited, the Department of National Planning & Monitoring, Kumul Consolidated Holdings, Police, NCD PHA, Department of Education, the Prime Minister and NEC, National Airports Corporations, Port Moresby General Hospital, Department of Personnel Management and other stakeholders to address the issue of constant blackouts and unreliable electricity supply.
Governor Parkop stressed that as the nation celebrates its 50th Independence Anniversary, reliable power must be treated as a critical national priority.
He noted that NCD contributes 30–40% of PNG’s revenue through corporate businesses and also hosts most government agencies, meaning power stability is vital for the economy and public services.
Revenue raised by power consumers in Port Moresby is the largest in the country, he said.
He also emphasized the importance of exploring alternative energy sources, private sector partnerships, and sustainable financing to strengthen PNG Power’s capacity.
Reliable power, he said, is essential not only for households and businesses but also for digital transformation, AI-driven technologies, manufacturing, and Port Moresby’s 24/7 CCTV surveillance system.
“Businesses and citizens cannot continue to bear the cost of power instability,” Governor Parkop told the meeting, urging for a solution-focused approach that combines government commitment, corporate backing, and development partner support.
He said NCD’s leadership in this initiative should set a benchmark for other provincial capitals, ensuring that energy reliability underpins national development and investor confidence into the future.
PNG Power Limited CEO Paul Bayly, who has been in the role for four months, highlighted that the main causes of outages include low generation leading to equipment failure, human error, planned outages, emergency interruptions, forces of nature, and even animal interference like snakes and others.
He said many substations in Port Moresby have been operating for over 45 years without replacement or upgrades, making the network vulnerable.
The outages affect every level of the system — from substations to distribution, generation, and transmission — causing widespread blackouts.
Current priority projects for Port Moresby include upgrades to Rouna 1, 2, and 3, the development of solar farms, and recommissioning of extra megawatt supply.