The Fiji Electricity Authority has admitted its 17 million US dollar Butoni Wind farm in Sigatoka was a failure due to the insufficient study of the area.
The authority's also revealed that one of its joint venture partners, Pacific Hydro Limited, pulled out in 2003 after seeing the project as uneconomical based on the expected cost of development and energy generation.
The Fiji Times says the electricity authority still went ahead with the project with PB Power of Australia as consultants in 2004.
The authority says the wind speed at the farm during its first year was lower than it should be due to a lack of wind and a lack of research into the venture.
But it says they are saving about a million dollars worth of diesel fuel despite it not performing to expectations.
