Energy Fiji Limited (EFL) says it has reached a pivotal moment in efforts to secure finance and start delivery on what it calls its largest-ever energy infrastructure programme, with the utility urging partners to move quickly from proposals to binding agreements.
EFL chief executive Fatiaki Gibson made the appeal at the second EFL Development Partners Roundtable in Suva, telling development partners, investors, government and community representatives that the hard work of shaping the vision and structuring the financing had been done. “If we get the implementation right, we unlock economic value, we strengthen infrastructure, we deliver real benefits to our communities, and we build confidence for future investments,” he said. “But if we delay, fragment or lose focus, we risk losing momentum and value.”
Gibson said the next phase — crystallising the financial proposal into binding agreements and achieving financial close — required “clarity and discipline, speed with rigour, and alignment of interests.” He stressed that the programme’s success would be judged not by what was planned but by what was delivered, and called for efficient, transparent closure of financial arrangements alongside disciplined project execution.
The Ministry of Finance’s head of Budget, Nemia Dawai, underlined the urgency and scale of the renewable energy investment pipeline presented to roundtable participants. “The investment pipeline before you today reflects the scale and urgency of this transition,” Dawai said, reiterating government commitment to transitioning Fiji toward renewable energy. He said the ministry looked forward to continued support from development partners for co‑financing arrangements — including blended finance, concessional financing and grants — to make the programme viable.
Gibson also warned that global supply chain volatility made robust planning essential. With lead times and component availability unpredictable, he urged EFL and its partners to diversify suppliers where possible and to build contingencies into project timelines to avoid delays that could erode value and confidence.
EFL said technical development work must advance in parallel once financial closure is achieved, signalling an intention to move rapidly from agreement to procurement and construction. The push for expedited financial close reflects a broader Pacific priority of accelerating renewable projects to meet national targets and improve energy resilience.
The roundtable represents a continuation of EFL’s outreach to secure blended funding and partner commitments for the programme. With government backing and an expressed expectation of support from development partners, the focus now shifts to converting proposals into legal and financial commitments — a phase company leaders say will determine whether the planned pipeline translates into on-the-ground renewable energy capacity and broader economic benefits for Fiji.
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