Prime Minister (PM) James Marape is expected to commission today the 132kV Highlands Transmission Line at the Keltiga Substation in Mt Hagen city, marking a major milestone in strengthening Papua New Guinea’s national electricity grid and improving power reliability across the Highlands region.

The commissioning ceremony will take place at Queen’s Park in Mt Hagen, followed by the technical commissioning at the Keltiga Substation with the event hosted by PNG Power Limited, Kumul Consolidated Holdings and the Ministry for State Enterprises.

The Highlands 132kV Transmission Line forms part of a major national grid investment that began in 2018 and has progressed through several phases before reaching its commissioning stage in 2026.

The project upgrades the historic 66kV transmission corridor to a modern 132kV high-voltage backbone, allowing the system to transmit larger volumes of electricity across the Highlands with improved reliability and reduced technical losses.

Prime Minister Marape said the commissioning represents an important step in the Government’s efforts to modernize the national electricity grid and expand reliable power access to more Papua New Guineans.

“This project strengthens the backbone of our national electricity system and brings more stable, reliable and affordable power to our Highlands provinces.

Reliable electricity is essential for economic growth, business development, and improving the quality of life for our people,” Prime Minister Marape said.

The transmission corridor runs approximately 189 kilometres from Mt Hagen to Tari, supported by around 448 transmission towers across challenging highland's terrain, and includes the construction and upgrading of key substations at Keltiga, Kaupena/Pauanda, Mendi (Tindimi), and Tari (Wabia).

 The project also includes a Tari–Hides extension of approximately 40 kilometres, enabling the integration of gas-powered generation from the Hides area into the Highlands electricity grid.

 Overall investment in the Highlands grid backbone exceeds PGK 1 billion, with financing arrangements including concessional support from the Export–Import Bank of China and counterpart funding from the Government of Papua New Guinea.

Prime Minister Marape said the upgraded transmission corridor would deliver wider economic benefits to the Highlands region.

“Reliable electricity will support hospitals, schools, small and medium enterprises, agricultural processing and major resource developments across the Highlands.

It also strengthens our national energy security and lays the foundation for future power generation projects, including hydropower and renewable energy investments.

“Our government is not only investing in roads through the Connect PNG programme, but also in other key enabling infrastructure such as electricity, ports, telecommunications and water systems that are essential to supporting economic growth and development across our country.”

The Prime Minister noted that the Highlands grid upgrade forms part of a broader national effort to strengthen Papua New Guinea’s electricity generation and transmission network across the country.

He acknowledged the support of the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Ramu Transmission System Reinforcement Project valued at over K200 million, which strengthens the critical Yonki–Lae transmission line supplying electricity to Morobe Province and the country’s industrial hub.

He also highlighted the Government’s direct investment in expanding electricity supply to the National Capital District, including a K120 million Government contribution towards the 132kV transmission line connecting the 54-megawatt Edevu Hydropower Project in Central Province to the Port Moresby grid, significantly improving power reliability for Port Moresby.

Prime Minister Marape added that these investments are part of the Government’s long-term strategy to build a stronger national power system capable of supporting economic growth, industrial expansion and improved living standards for Papua New Guineans.

He added that the project contributes to the Government’s broader national goal of achieving 70 percent household electricity access by 2030.

Prime Minister Marape also acknowledged the cooperation of landowners and provincial governments along the transmission corridor and recognized the partnership with the People’s Republic of China and engineering contractor TBEA in delivering the infrastructure project.

“Major infrastructure projects such as this require strong partnerships and cooperation from all stakeholders. I thank our landowners, provincial leaders, development partners and project teams who have worked over many years to bring this important project to completion.”

The Prime Minister said the commissioning of the Highlands 132kV Transmission Line demonstrates the Government’s commitment to strengthening national infrastructure as part of Papua New Guinea’s long-term economic transformation.