Scoring another win for hydropower plant project in Papua New Guinea

SMEC, a member of the Surbana Jurong Group, was once again appointed by PNG Forest Products to provide the tender design and documentation for the next phase of the Baime Hydropower Project in Papua New Guinea, following the completion of the pre-feasibility study in 2014, and feasibility study and environmental social impact assessment in 2017.

Located in Papua New Guinea’s Morobe province, the hydropower plant will involve the construction of a low-height diversion weir, a 5km-long headrace pipeline, a surge tank, a 3km-long penstock, and a power station containing two 5.7MW Pelton turbines. With a net head of 415m (head being the height difference between where the water enters and where it leaves), the hydropower plant will have an installed capacity of 11.4MW and produce 80GWh of energy per year.

These successive wins are a stamp of confidence for the team which had worked on PNG Forest Product’s 9.4MW Upper Baiune Hydropower Project between 2007 and 2010. The Upper Baiune Hydropower station has started operating since 2012. With this win, SMEC has built up a presence in the hydropower generation space in Papua New Guinea.