AUSTRALIAN-based company EPC Solar has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ONA Fiji to establish a coffee factory in Volivoli, Rakiraki powered by renewable energy.
ONA Fiji is a coffee-manufacturing company based in Canberra and has plans to expand its operations to Fiji.
EPC Solar commercial manager Lucas Sena said the partnership coincided with the company’s plans to set up a branch in Rakiraki by the end of June.
“They’re going to need a lot of solar panels and batteries, this is our combination of solar panels and batteries to reach the targets,” he said.
“That’s why Rakiraki is a region that’s growing. We see that new resorts are going up there, so that’s the perfect chance for our company to do business in Fiji.”
Company managing director Daryn Stocks said the investment was worth around $AU250,000 ($F366,000) to set up.
He said the venture would include a combination of EPC Solar staff from Australia supporting other installation companies from Fiji and transitioning those skills across to the Fijian market.
“Our main focus in the Australian region is working with the corporates. But there’s a lot of opportunity obviously with electrifying the islands.
“Most islands at the moment are currently running off diesel generators so what we would do is come in and supply batteries and solar.
“And rather than running those islands off 100 per cent diesel generation, it will convert back to 5 per cent or 10 per cent reliance on the generator. So, you’re saving a huge amount of fuel, reducing a huge amount of carbon emissions and there are a lot of positives there with reduction of costs as well.”
Mr Stocks said EPC Sola hoped to make Fiji its entry point into the Pacific region.
“I believe the renewable energy here works well for diesel generators. Unlikely in Australia because in Australia we have coal plants that you cannot switch off. It takes a lot of time to switch off.
ONA Coffee director Maheer Prasad said discussions on the new venture began in 2023 with the Ra Provincial Council to tap into the Rakiraki coffee market.
He said the company chose Volivoli as it was near the wharf so it will be easier to process the coffee, package it and send it to the company it supplies to, which he said has a global presence.
“The good, high-level coffee is called specialty coffee. Fiji doesn’t have any specialty coffee right now so the one that we have is going to be Fiji’s first specialty coffee.
“So, that’s $100million (export dollars) by 2030, just on specialty coffee.
“The rest of the coffee is called commercial coffee. So, for example, instant coffee or coffee capsules, that’s $150million.
“So, that’s $250million a year by 2030.”
Mr Prasad said the new partnership also had to honour EPC Solar’s 100 per cent renewable standards to get the project off the ground.
“They have their own standards, and they won’t change those standards per country that they go to. “So, when you come to Fiji, there’s a few difficulties because, for example, they have a 100 per cent renewable energy standard. So, they only use renewable energy everywhere in the world.
“For us, the partnership is a requirement because even though we want to be in Ra, we can’t be there without meeting the requirements of the company in the first place.
“Everybody here is drinking coffee from PNG, so we want to replace that, we want to say, if you want to buy instant coffee, you can buy Fiji-made instant coffee.”
NOTE: This article was first published in the print edition of the Fiji Times dated FEBRUARY 22, 2025.
