PNG Power Limited has apologised to customers nationwide at a press conference yesterday in Port Moresby for severe power load shedding, warning the crisis will worsen as El Nino strengthens.

The immediate pressure on water supply has been driven by reduced hydroelectric generation, transmission constraints, and insufficient reserve capacity during high demand.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for PNG Power, Mr. Paul Bayly said more than half of Port Moresby's power normally comes from hydro, and Sirinumu Dam is now at just 53% capacity.

"If the dam falls to 20%, PNG Power will no longer be able to generate electricity... as that water will be reserved for town water supply," Mr. Bayly said.

He said reduced water releases have cut output from Rouna hydro stations from 40MW to 24MW, a 40% reduction while Edevu Hydro on the Brown River has dropped from 56MW to 14MW, a 75% reduction.

"Together, these sharp reductions demonstrate the severe impact that El Nino is having on hydroelectric generation and the reliability of the Port Moresby grid," he said.

To stabilise the grid,

But at least some good news in stabilising the grid. The CEO said Rouna 3 and Rouna 1 are back to operation after maintenance. Together they are generating 7MW today but would produce 19MW with normal water supply.

Other measures include a $12 million transmission upgrade to bring an extra 15MW from Dirio to Port Moresby by January 2027. Dirio has 45MW capacity, but only 30MW can currently be delivered due to transmission limits while NiuPower has 56MW of capacity.

The CEO confirmed that engineers are due to arrive next week to restore control systems for two thermal generators at Kanudi Power Station, which was decommissioned in 2015. It is expected to provide about 18MW within a month. An 8MW diesel unit at Moitaka is also targeted for return in early 2027, with additional diesel from April 2027 when dam levels are expected to be under greatest pressure.

"Even with these measures, available supply will remain tight and will not provide sufficient reserve for unplanned maintenance or outages. Load shedding will therefore remain a necessity to protect the grid from wider system outage. PNG Power will continue to issue load-shedding schedules and operational updates as condition change," he said.

The CEO extended his apologies to paying consumers affected by this power load- shedding. He said that the PNG Power teams are working to restore generation, strengthen transmission capability, and manage limited supply as fairly possible.

Mr. Bayly also advised consumers to conserve electricity where they can and to follow official PNG Power notices for load shedding schedules and restoration updates. He said load shedding schedules are available on PNG Power website and social media.