THE partnership between Pacific Fishing Company and Island Solar Fiji is being promoted as an energy transition and a practical employment and training opportunity for Fiji’s eastern island of Ovalau.
Island Solar Fiji Founder and Director Rob Manson and Managing Director Eddy May said the project would create jobs during construction and commissioning, while also opening the door to longer-term work in operations and maintenance once the system is running.
Manson said Island Solar Fiji had made a firm commitment to engage with the local community when construction begins, with first preference to be given to local applicants from Ovalau who wanted to assist on site.
With the build expected to take up to six months, followed by further time for commissioning and deployment, the project could provide a meaningful injection of work for local residents while the transition is underway.
But the longer-term goal goes beyond temporary construction jobs.
Ovalau has a population of 9000-10,000 most of whom work at the local fish cannery or rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods.
Island Solar Fiji says a strong focus of the project is upskilling local people so they can help maintain the system over time.
Drawing on its experience in other communities, the company says that ongoing operations can be shared between its own team and trained local workers, ensuring that knowledge remains on the ground and that renewable energy skills are developed within the community.
The company also wants women included in that future workforce.
Manson said half of the trained local workers in one village project are female, and he indicated the same commitment to inclusion would shape how Island Solar Fiji approaches projects like PAFCO.
That gives the renewable transition a wider social dimension: not just cleaner energy for industry, but also a chance to expand access to technical work, build local capability, and ensure the benefits of the shift are felt beyond the factory itself.
