Cyclone Action Plan activated as Energy Fiji Limited restores power across Viti Levu

A Cyclone Action Plan has been activated by Energy Fiji Limited following widespread outages caused by strong winds and heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Cyclone Vaianu across Viti Levu.

In a statement, EFL says the severe weather, despite the cyclone not making direct landfall, resulted in significant damage to overhead lines, poles and electrical connections, leading to widespread power disruptions.

They say restoring electricity after a cyclone is far more complex than during routine outages, as every section of the network must be physically inspected and declared safe before power can be restored.

EFL says they serve more than 201,000 people across Viti Levu, supported by nearly 9,721 kilometres of power lines and over 95,000 poles and towers, highlighting the scale of the restoration effort.

Among the major impacts was a fault on the 132kV Wailoa–Cunningham transmission line, which disrupted supply to the Central Division and required temporary power rationing alongside the use of backup generation.

The line was repaired and safely restored on 9th April.

Damage was also reported on several 33kV sub-transmission lines, particularly in the Western Division, while faults were recorded across approximately 8,700 kilometres of the distribution network.

EFL says restoration efforts are guided by national priorities, with electricity first restored to critical services including hospitals, water and sewerage infrastructure, and key commercial areas before reaching residential communities.

By April 10th, most affected areas had power restored, with further progress made over the weekend.

They say supply in the Central Division was fully restored by April 12th, while the majority of the Western Division has also been reconnected, with a few areas still pending due to access challenges and the extent of damage.

Restoration efforts are continuing in remaining locations, with flooding, landslides and difficult terrain among the key challenges affecting timelines.