GOVERNMENT has invested $230million on rural electrification projects over the past decade, Infrastructure Minister Jone Usamate told villagers while opening the Tukavesi Village solar hybrid project in Cakaudrove, Vanua Levu, on Wednesday.
He told villagers that the funds had also covered for Energy Fiji Ltd’s grid extension, solar home systems, micro-hydro and energy hybrid system and Government had also increased the 2018/2019 budget for these projects.
Such increase, Mr Usamate said were signs of Government’s commitment.
For the Tukavesi project, he said his team would eventually integrate it with the hydro at neighbouring Buca Village.
“It is our intention to integrate the two mini-grids in the Buca Bay area as we have the Tukavesi solar hybrid and the Buca micro-hydro,” he said.
“My team will further explore its potential by integrating these two systems, and we would be able to further extend the accessing of electricity to your relatives along the Buca Bay coastline.
“Should this happen, it will be Government’s first achievement in integrating two grid networks which is the way that Government intends to do by replicating this model with other mini-grid projects around the country.”
