5 days Ago By Timoci Vula
ENERGY Fiji Ltd will be working with potential independent power producers (IPPs) to help the company with its $2billion green energy transition over the next four years.EFL board chairman Rokoseru Nabalarua confirmed this at a media conference in Suva week to announce the appointment of its former general manager special projects Fatiaki Gibson to head the $1.5billion partly state-owned power utility.
Mr Nabalarua said 50 per cent of the $2b investment to develop 165 megawatts of solar energy in the country would be looking at encouraging IPPs.“We’ll aggressively work with potential independent power producers to come and help us because we can’t just do it alone,” Mr Nabalarua said.“But in that way, again we’ll have to work with Government on how to look at what type of incentive these IPPs need to have in order to be able to invest in this sector.
“And part of that too is working with FCCC (Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission) to stabilise the tariff and whatever changes that needs to be done on a timely manner so that these investors will be able to get the returns and reinvest back into the country just like us.“So all those pieces are very important to make sure this industry that is so essential in the economic development of the country is going to be sustainable.“In terms of any economy, power is so essential, even with all the technologies we have nowadays, that we are so dependent on, without power, you are in trouble.
“That’s how critical it is and hence the transition we are doing. We don’t want power outages because it just creates a lot of problems.”Mr Nabalarua said EFL was also considering a submission for a tariff review.
The chairman also highlighted the issuance of tenders to look at developing a 21MW solar energy source to be developed in other sites in the Western Division, including hydro, already being identified to run in parallel.“We have got hydro potential in Viti Levu that we’ll be developing,” Mr Nabalarua said.“And we’re looking at other renewable resources too, like, not only solar but also geothermal, wind and also even looking at modern technologies.
”Note: This article was first published on the print version of the Fiji Times dated April 5, 2025.The post Power utility eyes IPPs appeared first on The Fiji Times..
