Energy Fiji Limited CEO Fatiaki Gibson. [Photo: FILE]

Energy Fiji Limited CEO Fatiaki Gibson says restoring power after Tropical Cyclone Vaianu was a complex and safety-critical operation, not a simple switch-on process.

Gibson stresses that, unlike normal outages, cyclone damage requires every section of the network to be physically inspected before power can be restored.

He says rushing the process could lead to serious injuries, fatalities or further damage to property.

The CEO highlights the sheer scale of the network, with EFL supplying more than 201,000 customers across Viti Levu through over 9,700 kilometres of power lines and more than 95,000 poles and towers.

Despite not making direct landfall, Cyclone Vaianu caused widespread disruption, with strong winds and heavy rain damaging transmission lines, sub-transmission systems and thousands of kilometres of distribution network.

A major fault on the Wailoa–Cunningham transmission line severely affected supply to the Central Division, forcing temporary power rationing before full restoration on 9th April.

Gibson says EFL activated its Cyclone Action Plan, prioritising hospitals, water infrastructure, business centres and then residential areas.

He confirms restoration only began once conditions were safe, with teams deployed by land, sea and on foot to assess and repair damage.

Most affected areas had power restored by 10th April, with the Central Division fully restored by 12th April, while work continues in parts of the Western Division.

Gibson acknowledges the frustration faced by customers but says delays were driven by major challenges, including flooding, landslides, access issues and the extent of damage across the network.

He adds that some outages are also linked to damage within customer properties, which require private electrical repairs before reconnection.

EFL has apologised for the inconvenience and is urging patience, with Gibson assuring that teams are working long hours to safely restore power to all remaining areas.