Gas fired power project to bring electricity to remote Hela communities

A gas-fired power generation project at Papua New Guinea’s LNG facilities in Hela Province is expected to deliver reliable electricity to several remote communities for the first time, Prime Minister James Marape says.

The Prime Minister made the announcement during a site visit in Tari on Sunday, where he inspected a 2-megawatt gas-fired power plant nearing completion. The facility is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2026, with plans to expand capacity to 5 megawatts by the end of next year.

Marape said the project represents a shift from resource extraction towards long-term community development, with electricity expected to support health facilities, schools, businesses and public services across Hela.

He said the initial power supply would be sufficient to service Komo, Koroba and Tari, including surrounding communities, while the expanded capacity would be progressively extended to Margarima, Nipa and Lake Kopiago.

The Prime Minister said further extensions are planned westward to Kandep and Mendi, areas that have remained without reliable electricity since Independence in 1975.

“These are communities that have never been connected to the national power grid,” Marape said, adding that access to low-cost and reliable power would improve living standards and support economic activity in the region.

He said improved electricity access would also deliver direct social benefits, particularly for women and girls, through improved lighting, safer communities, enhanced maternal and child health services, and better learning environments in schools.

Marape also encouraged landowner companies, including Trans Wonderland, to utilise the power supply to expand into agriculture, food storage, processing and light manufacturing, given that women’s participation in agribusiness and downstream industries would be promoted.

The project aligns with the Government’s policy to ensure PNG’s gas resources contribute not only to export earnings, but also to domestic energy security and regional development.