Suva: A former Australian politician, Peter Lewis has drawn attention to Fiji’s abundance of reliable and constantly available fresh water due to the relatively high altitude of the country.
Lewis believes Fiji has the global answer to meet the need for low-cost and very long-term carbon-free energy for all essential types of industry needed for a new ‘green eco-friendly’ post-industrial era of civilization beyond the 21st century.
He described two sources first of which was multiple high valley dams connected to hydro-electric generators down on the plains while the second was the bore fields to line-up into steam turbine generators.
“Fiji will then have really cheap energy for a very long time with hot rocks geothermal power for base load needs and hydro-electric for peak demand top-up,” Mr Lewis said.
“Fiji will then be in a very strong position to outdo Dubai and Singapore in less than a decade at the very same kinds of things which they do so well, to generate enormous wealth for their citizens.”
He however cautioned that Fiji must take and retain majority control of the process particularly the planning, design and the location of these facilities as well as the new industries and social infrastructure.
“The big energy consuming businesses will come when Fiji calls for expressions of interest and they will come to take up the long term secure future Fiji can provide,” Mr Lewis highlighted.
But Fiji he said, must insist that they come so long as all their new Fiji companies are locally registered under locally established law, thereby giving enduring benefits to people of Fiji.”
He said these companies will come because they will be fleeing the heavy tax burden and other fees they will have to pay to go on using the old ‘high carbon emission’ energy sources they are currently using in the countries in which they are located.
“This is Fiji’s big chance to join the winners circle for the 21st century and beyond,” Mr Lewis said.