Power restored to key areas of Rarawai Mill following fire

Power has been restored to critical sections of the Fiji Sugar Corporation’s (FSC) Rarawai Mill through the deployment of portable containerised generators, following a recent fire that disrupted operations.

Permanent secretary for the Ministry of Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar Industry, Vinesh Kumar, confirmed the update during his site visit to the mill on Tuesday. The visit aimed to assess the extent of the damage caused by the September 17 fire and review progress on restoration efforts.

“It is essential to ensure the mill is brought back into operation at the earliest opportunity,” Mr Kumar said.

During the visit, Mr Kumar met with an independent fire assessor from New Zealand, engaged to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the incident which happened on September 17.

He was also briefed on preventive maintenance measures being implemented at other mills to safeguard operations.

Mr Kumar said that FSC had already removed all burnt equipment and panels from the affected section of the mill. Major underfloor cables were also being extracted, with heavy machinery on-site to support the process.

“FSC confirmed that power had been restored to key areas of the site through the deployment of portable containerised generators,” he said.