Sainiani Boila 
The Vunisea power station in Kadavu will now be saving around $28,000 a month in diesel costs following the commissioning of a new solar hybrid power system.
The LAKARO Solar Hybrid Power Plant was officially commissioned today at the Vunisea Government Station by Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport, Ro FilipeTuisawau.
Before the solar photovoltaic and battery storage upgrade, the power station was consuming around 60 drums of diesel every month, costing about $42,000.
That has now been reduced to around 20 drums a month.
The upgrade is saving approximately 8,000 litres of diesel every month, translating to about $336,000 in annual savings.
The LAKARO project is expected to provide between 25 and 30 percent of the Vunisea power station’s energy needs through renewable energy, reducing Kadavu’s dependence on imported fuel.
Ro Filipe says the government’s long-term goal is to achieve 100 percent renewable energy generation for the Vunisea power station.
The project was funded through a partnership between the governments of Fiji, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, with a combined contribution of over $55.8million.
The government also contributed $350,000 and undertook remedial works at the powerhouses across the three LAKARO project sites.
For Kadavu, the project is not only about renewable energy as it is also about reducing the cost of powering the island, improving energy security and building a more sustainable electricity supply for one of Fiji’s maritime communities.
