PNG Power Limited has awarded Andritz VA Tech Hydro a US$29M contract for rehabilitation and upgrade of the Rouna 2 hydro power station in Papua New Guinea.

Rouna 2 is located approximately 40km northeast of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. It is the uppermost of four power stations of the Rouna hydro scheme, which all use the waters of the Laloki river and supply the capital with electricity.

The plant equipment to be upgraded was originally delivered by Voest and Elin (both companies are now part of Andritz VA Tech Hydro) in the late 1960s. PNG Power Limited decided to completely rehabilitate the station to guarantee reliable operation and to extend its operational life by another 20 to 30 years. Additionally the plant will be upgraded and brought to present working safety standards.

The extensive programme is fully under the responsibility of VA Tech Hydro GmbH and covers the common electrical equipment and five 6MW generating sets. Three units will be completely replaced while one is to be refurbished and the other taken out of service. Unit power will be increased by more than 30%.

The project duration is scheduled to be two years, with the last unit to be commissioned in December 2008.