Letters To The Editor, 12th February, 2019

Planned Power Shutdown

Energy Fiji Limited, CEO

EFL Power Supply in Savusavu

We had some technical issues with our Diesel Generators at the Savusavu Power Station towards the end of December, 2018 which affected power supply to our customers in Savusavu. EFL engineers were able to resolve these issues to get the power station fully operational.

With the heavy rains due to the inclement weather conditions experienced around the country towards the end of December 2018, a landslide had brought down a Power Pole at Bagaraki Settlement. This caused an unplanned power outage affecting some of our customers from Naqelekula to Uluvalili Settlement. Our teams worked around the clock to straighten the affected power pole and repair the damaged hardware (cross arms) before power supply was restored.

In the month of February, 2019 there were 5 unplanned outages in different parts of Savusavu. Most of these outages were due to transient faults caused by the inclement weather conditions (heavy afternoon downpours) in the surrounding areas. In one incident, power supply was temporarily affected to remove a dead pigeon from the power line in front of Hot Bread Kitchen in Main Street, Savusavu. These works were undertaken from 11:00pm to minimise the impact of the outage on our valued customers.

EFL has some 220km of power lines providing power supply to our valued customers in Savusavu. To ensure safety, reliability and security of power supply, we need to carry out regular repairs and maintenance of the power line hardware and clearing of vegetation from around the power lines. In order to ensure the safety of EFL teams and the general public, power supply to the various areas need to be de-energised for the advertised duration of these planned maintenance works.

Due to the adverse weather conditions, we were only able to partially complete maintenance works in the Vakativa to Uluivalili areas around Savusavu in the month of December, 2018. The remaining maintenance works had to be deferred to January and February, 2019 and we have had 8 planned outages for repair and maintenance in the month of January, 2019 to ensure reliability and security of power supply.

Power Outages

Shariff Shah, Savusavu

Nearly every day an ad appears in the papers for a planned power shutdown.

I wonder is it for maintenance or rationing of power. For sure EFL is facing problems here in Savusavu. No consistency at all. Stop fooling us please because this shutdown for so called maintenance has been going on for some time now. Stop it now!

Airport Security

Joe Smith, Pacific Harbour

For the benefit of outgoing

For the benefit of outgoing passengers, could the name of the security firm be published together with CEO phone contact?  Airline allows 50gm toothpaste with personal luggage but seized by security staff before boarding and there is no garbage bin to dispose of all confiscated items. What happens to all seized items...seen bottles of chutneys seized?

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