SOLOMON Power, formerly Solomon Islands Electricity Authority (SIEA), has commissioned its new Power Station, which includes four new 2.5 megawatt (MW) generators at Lunga, east Honiara, Monday.
The event came as SIEA formally switched its name to Solomon Power.
Minister of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, David Dei Pacha, Ministry of Finance and Treasury permanent secretary, Harry Kuma, Solomon Power board of directors, New Zealand Aid and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) representatives witnessed the commissioning of the new Lunga Power House.
Mr Pacha said the long period of power outrage in Honiara has been a chronic problem experienced by the city population due to lack of sufficient power generation capacity.
“As such, the situation creates difficult and very expensive circumstances for delivery of services both from the Government and the business sectors or communities alike,” Mr Pacha said.
“I trust that this event will ease these related challenges and set a new page for all of us to embark on a journey that will harness reliable and stable generation for our business communities and their partners,” he added.
“It will provide another opportunity for our private sector and business communities to venture into new income and employment opportunities as well as utilisation of resources that are within our reach.”
Mr Pacha said this will in return, improve the quality of our livelihoods, business opportunities and contributes to the real growth of our economy.
The successful completion of the project was made possible with the US$13 million funding from World Bank in 2014.
According to World Bank, the new funding was used to finance capital investments to strengthen SIEA’s largest power grid in Honiara and improve the efficiency and reliability of power supplies; strengthen project management capability to execute capital works activities; and build capacity in such areas as power system dispatch and control, power system planning, integration of intermittent renewable and Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and transaction advisory services.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
