A biomass gasification project to provide sustainable and cost-effective renewable energy to Samoan consumers is on track for launching.

But the project proponents say the project can only be launched after the Government-declared state of emergency (S.O.E.) is lifted.

The Afolau Biomass Gasification Project – which is overseen by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.) – was initially scheduled for launching this month.

But the Ministry’s Improving the Performance and Reliability of RE Power System in Samoa (IMPRESS) Co-ordinator, Vaigalepa Apelu Uili, told Samoa Observer that all construction work is complete but the launching has to be postponed due to the S.O.E.

"The construction work is all done, but our launch has been postponed until our SOE is lifted. We were supposed to have it in May but because of the S.O.E. we had to postpone it,” she said.

“We are going to launch it as soon as the S.O.E. is lifted, let's say if the S.O.E. is lifted on the 2nd of June then we might launch it on the 3rd or the 4th of June.”

According to Vaigalepa, their production has been going good and they are using trees to generate electricity, which will then be sold to state-owned utility companies to sell to customers. 

"For this project where we use trees to generate electricity, we will sell it to Electric Power Corporation (E.P.C.) and E.P.C. will sell it to their customers," she added.

The IMPRESS Project is funded by the M.N.R.E. Renewable Energy Division, Ministry of Finance, E.P.C., the United Nations Development Programme (U.N.D.P.) and other Government stakeholders. 

The project is located at Mulifanua and is set to support national efforts towards achieving 100 per cent renewable energy electricity generation by 2025, while also contributing to improved energy solutions for everyday Samoans.