THE Dirio Gas and Power Company will partner with the Pacific Lime and Cement Limited to supply up to 15 megawatts of electricity to the project site.
Dirio currently supplies 30 megawatts of power to Port Moresby.
It has a capacity of 45 megawatts, thus will supply 15 megawatts to the project.
Dirio chairman Isaac Lupari said that the company was planning to extend the power grid from the PNG LNG plant site at Papa to the cement and lime project site in Kido and Rearea.
Lupari said that Dirio had been compliant in the legal aspect of commercial partnerships with businesses and other investors.
“We have arrangements with both public and private sector,” he said.
“We currently sell about 30 megawatts to PNG Power Limited for the Port Moresby feeds.
“As a landowner company, we are looking forward to see how best to support the country’s first ever cement and lime project in terms of its power supply and electricity needs.
“Government has been supportive. The discussion of the government’s downstream processing and the opportunity to supply power is why Dirio is here today.”
Lupari said that the company was excited about the new investment and the opportunities it would bring.
PLC managing director Paul Mulder explained that the project was still in the construction phase and is expected to go into production in 2028.
Mulder said: “We’re here to build a nation. We’re here to grow with PNG.
“And the more we reduce the price, the more the demand grows. The bigger this becomes, the more powers that’s needed.
“The bigger the facilities come, the more jobs are created.
“The more spin-off businesses are created, the more economic benefit flows through that whole area.”
