Foreign Affairs Minister Sakiasi Ditoka has urged Fijians to base the nation’s debate on waste-to-energy technology on evidence rather than fear, after a recent visit to one of the region’s most advanced facilities in Singapore. In a social media post, Ditoka warned against what he called “misinformation and fear-driven opposition” that has portrayed waste-to-energy plants as nothing more than “giant rubbish fires” that pollute the environment.
Ditoka said his visit to the TuasOne Waste-to-Energy Plant, operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, showed a modern, tightly regulated operation. “There were no visible emissions from the stacks other than water vapour. There were no noticeable odours standing outside the plant,” he wrote, noting the facility used advanced pollution-control systems, scrubbers and continuous monitoring to meet strict environmental standards. He also revealed the plant was producing an amount of electricity equivalent to Fiji’s Monasavu hydroelectric scheme despite running only three of its four furnaces while one was under maintenance.
Highlighting the global scale of the technology’s use, Ditoka pointed out that Singapore runs four waste-to-energy plants, Japan has 283 and China 38. He also drew attention to Australia’s expanding investment in the sector, citing the Kwinana Energy Recovery Facility in Western Australia, which processes about 460,000 tonnes of waste each year, and saying additional projects are planned or under consideration across several Australian states.
While advocating for an evidence-based conversation, Ditoka was clear his comments did not signal unconditional support for any proposal in Fiji. Any project, he said, must face “rigorous scrutiny” on emissions standards, environmental safeguards, public health impacts, ash management, economic viability, landowner interests and compliance with national law and international obligations. “Does this mean every Waste-to-Energy proposal should automatically be accepted? No,” he added.
Ditoka’s intervention is the latest development in a wider national debate on how Fiji should handle its mounting waste challenges. The issue has local resonance after events such as the prolonged fire at the Vunato landfill in Lautoka last year, which raised acute public health concerns and underlined the limits of current landfill practices. At the same time, municipal initiatives like Suva City’s new Return and Earn recycling program show a growing local appetite for diversified waste management strategies.
By publicising his first-hand observations from TuasOne, Ditoka aims to shift the conversation from slogans and social media claims to engineering, environmental science and regulatory oversight. He urged policymakers and the public alike to look at what other countries have implemented while insisting on robust environmental and health safeguards before greenlighting any technology for Fiji.