THE University of the South Pacific (USP) has opened a new Sustainable Energy Training Centre aimed at producing the skilled workforce needed to drive Fiji and the Pacific’s transition to renewable energy.
The purpose-built facility was officially opened by Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau on Wednesday, who said energy was central to development and the region’s future.
“Energy is the heart of development,” Mr Tuisawau said.
“It powers our homes, schools, hospitals, industries and transport systems.”
He said Pacific nations faced the challenge of meeting growing energy demands while protecting the environment and building resilience to climate change.
“For Pacific nations on the front line of climate change, sustainability is not simply an environmental issue.
“It is an issue of livelihoods, economic security, food security and the future of our people.”
USP pro-chancellor and council chair Siosiua Utoikamanu described the centre as a major investment in renewable energy skills across the region.
“This is a significant investment, not simply in a building, but in the people and skills that will support the sustainable energy future of Fiji and the Pacific.”
The centre will provide practical training in solar photovoltaic systems, energy efficiency, battery storage, electric transport, rural electrification and emerging clean-energy technologies.
