TINA River Hydropower system will have the capacity to supply between 70 – 80 percent of the total power requirement for Honiara city.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare highlighted during his keynote address at the signing of the Financing Agreement of the Tina River Transmission System, Wednesday this week.
The Prime Minister said he was informed that it will produce a much cleaner, much cheaper and much more reliable energy in Honiara.
“This is indeed welcoming news. It is my hope that when we commission this system at its completion, we will realise the intended benefits we speak about today,” he said.
Prime Minister Sogavare said that despite the delays brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the signing is a testament to the genuineness, durability and maturity of the relations, which ensures all parties involved achieve win-win outcomes.
“Thank you Australia for your additional contribution to this landmark project that will be a game changer for Solomon Islands in terms of its development and the green-gas reducing effect it will have when it comes into operation,” he said.
Prime Minister Sogavare said the Government eagerly waits for the day when the Tina River Hydropower facility is commissioned, and this country starts to benefit from clean, reliable, and cheaper energy.
Solomon Power and the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) on Wednesday this week have signed a USD22.7 million (SBD180 million) grant and loan financing agreement to build a 22km transmission system as part of the Tina River Hydropower Project.
The transmission system is the critical piece of infrastructure needed to enable the hydropower facility to supply power to Honiara.
It will deliver 70–80 gigawatt hours of renewable energy per annum – enough electricity to meet around 68 per cent of Honiara’s needs.
Prime Minister Sogavare described the occasion as, yet another historical milestone that takes Solomon Islands one-step closer to realising the benefits that Tina Hydro Project will bring.
