Papua New Guinea Country Update

Abstract

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is an emerging economy, which stands at the threshold of economic prosperity but is constrained by the lack of access to reliable electricity. Located within the “ring of fire”, PNG has numerous active volcanoes and known geothermal systems. There are currently 55 MW of geothermal power installed at Lihir Gold Mine in New Ireland Province. However, there have not been any additional power plants constructed in the past five years, mostly due to lack of adequate legislation and government support. The high cost of diesel and HFO, and the unpredictable nature of hydro power stations, has renewed strong interest in geothermal power. This paper is an overview of the current status of geothermal in PNG and progress being made to support further development.