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PNG Energy Minister not ashamed to push for coal energy


Energy Minister Sam Basil says he is not ashamed to talk about coal being used to drive industrialisation in Papua New Guinea.

“I am not ashamed to talk about all types and forms of energy, clean coal being part of it,” he said.

Basil was flanked by Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta and Mayur Resources managing director Paul Mulder. Mayur wants to build a coal power plant in Lae. The coal will be mined in Gulf.

Basil said Australia and Indonesia both had over 70 per cent of their power mixes from coal.

“Here we are, in a tiny, small nation, talking about clean energy while we allow those two big neighbours to smoke the atmosphere for us and our forest are being used as carbon sink,” he said.

“In a few weeks’ time, first week of April, the signing will happen.

“PNG must not be fools in their own country while other countries are using activists to drive anti-coal campaigns,”

Haiveta said the commercialisation of Gulf coal would happen.

He said coal was a base-load power while other energy sources like solar, hydro and wind fluctuated.

“Coal has been the mainstay of the industrial revolution,” Haiveta said.

“What is the big hiccup? We need Papua New Guineans to have free power. If we are the landowners, give us free power.”

Mulder said the project would create jobs for local people.

“We have a nation that has 13 per cent electrification,” he said. “We have got a huge number of people who want jobs. They want manufacturing. When producing this power, we can use clean coal technology,” he said.

SOURCE: THE NATIONAL/PACNEWS
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