PNG Energy Developments Ltd (PNG EDL), Australia, is evaluating the potential development of a renewable hydropower project on the Purari River in Papua New Guinea (PNG). By harnessing the power of the Purari River and its tributaries, the project has the potential to produce electricity in PNG as well as deliver electricity to Australia via undersea transmission cable. If constructed, the undersea section of cable would be one of the longest High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) undersea cables ever built.
A consortium led by AECOM, comprising Electricité de France, Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd and Entura (Hydro Electric Corporation of Tasmania), has been engaged by PNG EDL to undertake the project feasibility studies and social and environmental impact assessments for the proposed development.
Investigations to date have confirmed that a hydropower scheme on the Purari River with a generating capacity in excess of 2,000MW is technically feasible. Feasibility studies and front-end engineering are expected to continue, in advance of a future investment decision.