FIJI’S sugar industry could in future operate with only one mill on Viti Levu, with the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) exploring a major restructuring of its milling operations.
FSC chief executive officer Bhan Pratap Singh told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economic Affairs yesterday that the corporation is considering upgrading Rarawai Mill in Ba to become the sole sugar factory on the main island.
He said the proposed investment is estimated at about $150million for a new boiler and cogeneration plant.
“If Rarawai can do more than one million tonnes of cane, we can progressively upgrade Rarawai Mill as it has major defects in the boiler,” Mr Singh said.
“We have a proposal for a new boiler and if we are able to install a new boiler in Rarawai Mill with the new cane carrier which we are doing this season.
“If we are able to increase the crushing capacity of Rarawai Mill from the current 230 tonnes cane per hour to about 300 tonnes cane per hour, than we can crush all Viti Levu cane in one mill.”
Mr Singh said the proposal forms part of FSC’s three to five-year plan.
“We have done a lot of groundwork to go towards that,” he said.
He said future expansion options could include diversification projects once the boiler upgrade was completed.
“If we have a new boiler, we can also add an ethanol plant and do some diversifications, and add a back-end refinery, but progressively after we have upgraded the boiler. So, the first investment that needs to go into Rarawai Mill is a new boiler and cogeneration plant.”
He said an in-house feasibility study had already been completed to support the proposal.
