NatureFiji says Fiji not ready for proposed Vuda waste-to-energy project

One of Fiji's leading environmental organisations has warned that the country is not ready to properly regulate a proposed $1.4 billion waste-to-energy incinerator planned for Naikorokoro Point in Vuda.

NatureFiji-MareqetiViti (NFMV) said Fiji remains "at least a generation away" from having the regulatory capacity needed to oversee a project of such size and complexity.

The organisation made the comments in an objection submitted to the Department of Environment as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the proposed Vuda-Saweni waste-to-energy development.

NFMV said while Fiji faces a genuine waste management challenge, approving a project of this scale could create additional environmental and regulatory risks if proper oversight mechanisms are not in place.

The organisation pointed to what it described as previous shortcomings in environmental regulation, including the Nabou biomass power plant project, which it said failed to secure a sustainable supply of biomass feedstock despite receiving environmental approval.

According to the submission, the proposed Vuda-Saweni development would be the largest waste-to-energy incinerator in the Southern Hemisphere and more than twice the size of Australia's largest comparable facility.

NFMV also raised concerns about waste supply arrangements, management of potentially hazardous ash by-products, environmental rehabilitation costs and the ability of government agencies to effectively monitor compliance throughout the life of the project.

The organisation argued that the environmental bond proposed by the developers was significantly below the level required to cover potential rehabilitation costs should the project fail or be abandoned.

Public consultations on the EIA closed in April, with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change currently reviewing submissions from the developer, stakeholders and members of the public.

More than 3,000 signed petitions opposing the development were reportedly submitted to authorities, alongside hundreds of emailed objections and thousands of online petition signatures.

The proposed development would process up to 900,000 tonnes of waste annually and generate up to 80 megawatts of electricity for Fiji's national grid.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has not yet announced a decision on the project's environmental approval.

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