Plans For More Hydro Power Plants

02/10/2019

EMI KOROITANOA
 
There are now plans for more hydroelectricity plants in Vitilevu. This was confirmed by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Disaster Management and Meteorological Services Jone Usamate.
 
“Currently in Vitilevu, our energy usage is about 50-60 per cent depending on the rainfall,” Minister Usamate said. He said the Government hopes to become 100 per cent renewable energy based by the year 2050.
 
“Other than that, we need to make sure that in terms of transportation, we will see how we can replace vehicles that use of fossil fuels,” he said.
 
“So over time, we have to bring energy to make them run on electricity and make sure the electricity we use to charge these cars is based on renewable energy.”
 
Speaking at the commissioning of the Navutu Village Rural Electrification Grid Extension Project recently, Minister Usamate assured the community that this will be the long term targets.
 
He also said the Government is making a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ships.
 
“In order to do that, you have to convert the fuel that they use or use more solar or more wind.” Minister Usamate highlighted some challenges the Government faces, saying that it is difficult catering to communities located in isolated areas.
 
“It’s quite a crosscut to just bring in the electric poles to these small communities,” he said.
 
“In other places, we have small villages where you can just put up a solar system but the solar system is such that you can’t really use the things you want with a voltage such as fridge or ironing board.”
 
“So the isolation, the small size of the systems. All of those things, they really count and off course the cost of it. So all of these will always be challenging for us,” he added.