ONCE the Qaliwana and Vatutokotoko cascade hydropower scheme are commissioned, they are expected to increase efficiency in the energy sector, says Energy Fiji Ltd’s chief executive officer Fatiaki Gibson.
Mr Gibson told the European Union-Pacific Business Forum in Nadi last week, the Qaliwana project is above the existing Nadarivatu hydro scheme and Vatutokoko is at the lower part.
“So, basically, when we finally get these two projects built, installed and commissioned, it will be a cascade hydropower system.
We’ll be using the water three times and that would bring efficiency into Fiji’s energy sector,” he said.
A cascade hydropower station is a system based on the operation of one reservoir under which water is redistributed into cascade basins which then push for maximum power generation.
On the progress of the projects, Mr Gibson said much of the focus is on the land and financing.
“In terms of EFL’s strategy to accelerate the development of these projects, we really need to review the land and how we are utilizing the resource in these assets to sit on, and given the fact that the resource owners themselves want to participate in the investment.
“Currently, they just sit on the side and, through TLTB, they give their consent and TLTB works with the developer and they get royalty.”
Mr Gibson said this is an area that the EFL board hopes to explore further in the near future.
“Surely we will need government and stakeholders’ inputs into that.”
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Note: This article was first published under the headline: EFL considers landowners participation in future projects in Page 13 of the print version of The Fiji Times dated Tuesday, September 10, 2025
