Preserving Paradise: Sustainable Infrastructure in the Pacific

The Blue Pacific Continent is made up of eighteen nations whose life and livelihood centres around protecting natural capital.

Nowhere is this more critical than in the Island nation of Fiji where 40% of it’s national GDP stems from tourism and a significant portion of that can be found on Island developments like Nawi Island Marina in Savusavu Bay, Vanua Levu. The Savusavu Bay region is designated by the Fijian Department of Environment as a marine ecological zone, which means a higher compliance level is required to protect the reef ecosystem the development is located in.

Balancing the needs of capital investment against the needs of protecting the natural capital of Savusavu Bay is where the Hydroflux Pacific Sustainable Infrastructure Program provided the Marina owner with a solution to manage the long term sustainability of liquid waste on the Island.

In the case of Nawi Island, the program commenced its support phase in design mode considering two key constraints.

1.           The Island development was to be staged over a number of years.

2.           The treatment process had to remove nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous.

A Hydroflux Epco RoadTrain Advanced, with an MLE process foundation, was selected for the first 100 cubic metre stage with an integration of MBBR technology incorporated for future capacity.

With the process selected, the support phase continued with development and acquisition of the Department Of Environment permit on behalf of the client.

Moving into the delivery phase of the program saw in-country production of the Hydroflux Epco RoadTrain in Ba, Viti Levu. In-country production is a Hydroflux standard for the pacific because it increases economic value in the countries we operate and it allows us to reduce our carbon footprint and proudly stand up to be counted as the first water sector company in the pacific to be certified carbon neutral.

On-site, the plant was installed under Hydroflux supervision using local contractors and it will be commissioned onto live sewage shortly, but that’s not where the Hydroflux Pacific program ends.

In fact, the protection phase of the Sustainable infrastructure Program never ends because protecting assets and natural capital doesn’t have a fixed timeline like a construction project. The protection phase of the Nawi Island RoadTrain will last indefinitely, providing the client with operator training, guidance, spare parts and chemicals for the life span of the Nawi Island development.

About Hydroflux

The Hydroflux Group aims to deliver the highest level of engineering and scientific know-how to the emerging issues of sustainability, climate adaptation and environmental protection with a specific focus on water and wastewater.

As part of its vision and mission, Hydroflux has always taken its climate responsibility seriously. In 2022, Hydroflux became Australia’s first water treatment and technology company to achieve Climate Active carbon neutral certification for its organisation and products. It knows that partnering with customers and clients is the most significant impact it can have in its journey.

The Group employs over 100 staff and operates throughout the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand, with office locations in Suva, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland, and Portsmouth.