News

More Biomass plants for Fiji

March 22, 2017 6:32 pm

Work on the Nabou Green Energy Limited (NGEL) located in Sigatoka along the Queens Highway has been completed and will be officially opened in May.

This was confirmed to FBC News by the company chief executive Lee Jun Hyung who says they are optimistic about the success of the power plant.

The 12 megawatt Biomass plant is a joint venture between three Korean companies and Tropik Wood Industries Limited.

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The plant uses a special tree species, Gliricidia, which takes around two years to mature and is ready to be harvested and fed into the plant.

A total of $90 million has been invested into the plant and Lee Jun Hyung says there’s a possibility of opening more of such plants in Fiji.

“In Fiji more than 50% depends on fossil fuels and then we think that maybe the other 50% can change to a more sustainable energy resource. Of course there is solar, hydro and also wind power but all those resources are limited. The Nabou Biomass power plant has just started and we are now looking at opening two or three more if the capacity is okay by the Fijian Government.”

Jun Hyung says at the moment 120 locals are employed at the plant with another 60 people scheduled to be hired in May.

He adds Koreans engineers and personnel are training locals to run the plant and aim to have an all-local workforce over the next few years.