our history
All independent electricity suppliers were brought under the FEA's wing. Five years after its establishment (1971) plans for a 10 megawatt diesel generating station to Vuda was announced. Demand for power was increased by 30 percent annually. Vuda was the most ambitious project undertaken by FEA. By 1978, the SCC's electricity department which was the biggest and oldest was acquired by FEA. After initially serving fewer than 2500 customers, by the end of 2005, FEA was supplying electricity to more than 130,000 customers. There is now a 5 percent growth in demand for electricity supply to date. Projections predicted a doubling in demand during the 1970s, fuel prices are escalating and hydro electricity was a feasible alternative to diesel power stations. In 1972 ENEX of New Zealand prepared a detailed report, four years later the FEA commissioned Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners to prepare a 25 year power programme.
The Monasavu hydro electric scheme was a dominant feature. The Monasavu cost was met through international and local funding and Government grants. The project is a dramatic testimony to a determination to increase Fiji's self sufficiency in a critical area of the economy. From Monasavu two 132 kilo volts lines (one to Vuda in the west and the other to Cunningham for Central) supplied power to the main island. At these two points voltage drops down to 33kv at sub stations then down to 11kv to transformers. From there it dropped to 240 volts for domestic and 415 volts for industrial customers. FEA's vision is energising our nation and its mission that it will provide clean and affordable energy solutions to Fiji and the Pacific. FEA aims to provide all energy through renewable resources by 2011.
With the escalating price of fuel FEA plans to meet new electricity demand with sustainable energy solutions to help ensure that Fiji Islands have a secure, continuous and reliable power supply at the lowest possible cost. The escalating cost of fuel is beyond FEA's control. In 2005, FEA had spent $65 million on fuel. A mini hydro power station in Wainikasou commissioned in 2004 added 6MW of power capacity and 18 GWh per annum of renewable energy. The 2.8 MW Vaturu hydro scheme adds a further 19 GWh per annum of renewable energy. In 2005, FEA purchased a new state of the art $F26 million Power Plant with an installed capacity of 30MW. The four new Caterpillar diesel generator sets; each of capacity 7.45MW, are equipped with Programmable Logic Controls (PLC) ensuring greater operational and diesel efficiency. Its self diagnostic management systems provide proactive information to maintenance staff. These gensets' capability to run on biofuels underpins FEA's long term strategy of providing all energy supplied by FEA through renewable resources as it has the flexibility to utilise biodiesel. The $F30 million 10 MW Butoni Wind Power Farm is the latest renewable energy project which is expected to be commissioned in 2007. The Butoni project will save the country $F2.5 million of foreign exchange (as we do not have to import the equivalent fuel) per annum and may save 7544 tonnes per annum of green house gas that contributes to global warming. Other investigation works are continuing on further wind development sites, solar energy, geothermal, gasification and fuel conversion opportunities.
