Global design firm Stantec has been chosen by Tina Hydropower Ltd. (THL) to serve as Owner’s Engineer for the 15MW Tina River Hydropower Project in the Solomon Islands.
Once complete, the project will reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels while also reducing the cost of electricity. The project is being constructed and operated by THL, formed by Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) and Hyundai Engineering Corporation Ltd. (HEC).
This project is the first large-scale infrastructure in the Solomon Islands to be developed as a public-private partnership. The completed $240 million financing package for the total project includes loans and grants from six institutions.
The Solomon Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean northeast of Australia, is nearly entirely reliant on imported diesel fuel. The new hydropower project will reduce the island nation’s reliance by nearly 70 percent once completed in 2025. The project will include a 75m high roller compacted concrete dam, 3.5km of tunnels, access roads, penstock and powerhouse housing three 5MW turbine generators.
“Reducing the nation’s reliance on imported diesel fuel makes the Solomon Islands a global leader in renewable energy,” said Andrew Bird, Asia Pacific Power and Dams Lead for Stantec. “We are proud to partner with THL to deliver this important project.”
Stantec has a long history of working in the Pacific. The team has delivered numerous hydropower projects in the region including the 42MW Nadarivuatu Hydroelectric Scheme in Fiji and six small hydropower projects in Samoa, one of which was the Tafitoala-Fausaga Hydropower Project. Currently the team is working on hydropower projects in Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa. Island nations across the region are facing the impacts of climate change firsthand and as a result, they are finding innovative solutions for clean alternative energy sources.
