SOPAC and CTA [The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, based in the Netherlands] recently jointly funded a biofuel (coconut oil) project in Fiji. Using local copra supply as biofuel for rural electrification is perceived as a potentially viable and sustainable option. Under this biofuel project, a package of compatible components are provided to a local community, including a mini oil mill, settling tanks, other accessories to blend the coconut oil with diesel and an 18-kVA indirect injection diesel engine. These components were installed and commissioned at the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Development (CATD) in Nadave, Tailevu, Fiji Islands.

CATD is a Government training centre that provides training to Fijian nationals from rural and remote island communities in a wide range of disciplines such as carpentry, small engine repair, energy and small/micro business management skills to facilitate community development. The operation of the biofuel project – particularly the performance of the biofuel generator – will be monitored by SOPAC1 and CATD for the first five years after installation.

This paper describes a preliminary economic analysis of the feasibility of the project.