Nadarivatu Hydropower Station Wins NZ Engineering Award

Nadarivatu Hydropower Station Wins Prestigious New Zealand Engineering Award

Original and creative solutions power Fiji’s renewable resources future

Wellington, 28 November, 2013 - The 44MW Nadarivatu Hydropower Station located on the Island of Viti Levu has won the New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards 2013 Energy and Resources category.

The (US)$150 million project is bringing significant economic benefits to Fiji by reducing the country’s dependence on costly, imported diesel and so saving it more than (US)$20 million a year. The Hydropower Station provides 12 per cent of the Island’s electricity, including remote communities like Buya Buya for the first time.

MWH Global in New Zealand designed the project and working with the Fiji Electricity Authority (FEA) supervised construction which started in 2009. The station achieved full power on 20 May 2012, with the two vertical Pelton turbines generating 101GWh of electricity every year.

“Those most directly affected by the construction of the scheme have received further benefits,” said Greg Brown, Major Projects Manager, MWH. “Improvement to the area’s communications means people now have access to a mobile phone network for the first time. Accessing this remote site was a challenge. Upgrading 40 kilometres of roads to get to it, has also enabled a public bus service to be introduced which serves seven villages and helps to connect communities better.”

There are times when the hydropower station cannot be accessed because of tropical weather conditions which increase the risk of plant outages. One of the design innovations allows the project to be remotely controlled. This prevents a loss of power should an issue occur affecting the entire island’s power capacity, potentially causing blackouts in major tourist areas.

“This is the largest project undertaken in Fiji since the completion of the Monasavu Scheme in the early 1980’s,” said Fatiaki Gibson, Project Director, Fiji Electricity Authority (FEA). “The official opening of the Nadarivatu Hydropower Station in September 2012 represented a major milestone in our goal to have 90 per cent of power generation from renewable resources by 2015. MWH has provided an exemplary service in delivering this extremely important project.”

About MWH Global
MWH Global is a strategic consulting, technical engineering, environmental and construction services firm leading the wet infrastructure sector. Offering a full range of services and innovative, award-winning solutions beginning in the initial planning phases through construction and asset management, we partner with our clients in multiple industries to implement projects and programs that focus on water, energy, natural resources and transportation infrastructure. Our nearly 8,000 employees in 35 countries spanning six continents are dedicated to fulfilling our purpose of Building a Better World, which reflects our commitment to sustainable development. MWH is a private, employee-owned firm with a rich legacy beginning in 1820. For more information, visit our website at www.mwhglobal.com or connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.

About The New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards
The New Zealand Engineering Awards are run by The Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ) on behalf of seven organisations – Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA), Electricity Engineers’ Association (eea), Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ), Contractors’ Federation of New Zealand, Water New Zealand and The New Zealand Council of Engineering Deans.

ENDS

© Scoop Media