A recent local trial has led to a new partnership between an Australian infrastructure company and a local business that will pave the way to more water savings, less dust and safer worksites across the country during times of drought.
Australian infrastructure technology company Global Road Technology (GRT) last month conducted an on-site demonstration of its patented liquid polymer solution on a dirt haul road at the Napa Napa refinery.
André Morris, Montana Civil Constructions PNG managing director, said he was stunned by the results.
"We’d trialled a few other different polymers, but they didn’t do what this product does," Mr Morris said.
"With the drought, we had to have security guards and roadside workers wearing dust masks literally all day long, which is bad for their health and tough on the vehicles."
"An hour after this application, the workers had removed their dust masks and have continued to work without them despite hundreds of heavy vehicle movements each day.
"Previously we needed to use a tanker to spray water each hour to keep down the dust. Three weeks later we still haven’t had to use water and people are coming to see how we did it."
Mr Morris said the company’s spray tankers would not be needed for dust suppression on the road for at least three months, at which time a minor maintenance application would be applied.
GRT has now signed a partnership with the Port Moresby-based company to be the exclusive PNG distributor of GRT’s products.
Mr Morris said in addition to the safety and environmental benefits, there were financial savings as well.
"We were spending 10t per litre of water for up to 40,000 litres a day, which is a substantial saving.
"I’ve been doing this for quite a while in PNG and if I had this product four years ago I can guarantee there would be a lot more all-weather roads in Gulf Province.
"Using this technology on more industrial and local government roads will be good for nearby workers, for motorists and the community at large."
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