By NELSON JOE
THE Eastern Highlands province has embraced the workshop on renewable energy projects amid prolonged power supply fluctuations during this prolong dry spell.
Administration teams from Obura-Wonenara, Kainantu, Henganofi, Okapa, Lufa, Unggai-Bena, Goroka and Daulo districts, including one from the Eastern Highlands Provincial Administration, attended the workshop that was funded by the United Nations Development Program and facilitated by the Climate Change Development Authority.
Funding security, technical design and proper construction planning, land issues, lack of consultation and awareness on the proposed projects and guarantee for sustainability were identified as some of the main challenges they would face in those energy projects.
Some of the projects they have identified include revival of Komoyiufa hydro and Goroka solar projects in Goroka district, Megabo hydro, Korofeigu solar panel and biomass projects in Unggai-Bena district, Kivirinka hydro project in Henganofi district and construction of Gotuni mini hydro project whose feasibility study was already completed, and others.
The CCDA officers Jeal Chris and Minando Baro are assisted by a consultant to UNDP, Wilfred Amai, to run the workshop.
They have assured the participants that the funding sources for those projects were reliable and challenged them to identify mega projects that would benefit everyone with rippling effects across the districts and throughout the province.
The participants were told that they would go through a simulated feasibility study for a model project today in order for them to do an effective plan for the potential energy projects they identified.
The participants encouraged each other to identify mega energy projects. They have tentatively identified the Korofeigu solar panel project in lower Bena and a site where the Asaro river, Bena river, Henganofi river and a tributary from Mt Michael in Lufa district meet as a potential hydro project that can turn more than 10 turbines before they flow out to meander along with Kikori and Purari rivers in Gulf province.