The Government has moved to the next phase of the development of a biomass gasification plant at Mulifanua, which is already producing renewable energy from natural sources.

“The proposed biomass gasification plant at Mulifanua has been on the cards and was a pet project of the Samoan Government, which has in recent years announced its intention to move into renewable energy technology,” said the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Laauli Leauatea Polataivao, on Tuesday.

The Mulifanua plant will be used to generate power to supply the country’s electricity grid. 

The concept of biomass-generated electricity is not new in Samoa. 

According to the United Nations Development Programme (U.N.D.P.), the biogas project followed an initial regional clean energy initiative known the Pacific Island Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project.

That project was funded by the Global Environment Facility, with the U.N.D.P. as implementing agency and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P.) as implementing partner. 

The project covered eleven Pacific island countries and has provided feasibility studies, training, awareness and renewable energy projects across the Pacific since 2008.

As a followup to the abatement and renewable energy initiative, Denmark funded renewable energy projects in Pacific small island developing states, including the Mulifanua site. 

It is understood the invasive Merrimia vine, which, according to the U.N.D.P. and the M.N.R.E., was responsible for strangulating up to 60 per cent of Samoa’s forests was proposed as the fuel for the Biomass project. Biogas energy can be generated through the combustion of the vine. 

“As we celebrate the importance and significance of the environment in this year’s Environment Week, the development of this Biomass Station is key to providing environmentally friendly energy sources such as biogas,” said Laauli.

One of the residents of Mulifanua, Simi Kaisara welcomed the new Government initiative. 

“I know that these other hazardous fossil fuels damage the environment, but with this new alternative by the Government, our country will have clean and environment-friendly renewable energy sources,” said Mr. Kaisara.

The Minister of Agriculture also added that a new Poultry Factory facility opposite the Biomass Station in Mulifanua will also supply chicken manure and waste to be converted into biogas.