Candela has announced the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with operator and financing partner Green Pacific Shipping and Fijian operating partner Sea Fiji to deploy a fleet of Candela P-12 electric hydrofoil vessels in Fiji.
The service, which will operate under local brand VukaWaqa, will replace conventional diesel transfer boats on routes serving Fiji’s outer-island resorts in both the Mamanuca and Yasawa groups, which the first vessels scheduled to enter service mid 2027.
Under the MoU; an initial fleet of three to five Candela P-12 vessels are envisioned to operate between Nadi/Denarau and the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands, with provision for further expansion in subsequent phases.
Green Pacific Shipping will act as the principal operator and financing/asset-owning party for the fleet, whilst Sea Fiji will handle in-country operations, local crewing and customer experience. Candela will supply vessels, train crew and technicians, as well as support the overall build-up of local maintenance capability within Fiji.
Representatives from each of the three parties will attend AHICE Fiji this month, where they will come together to present the VukaWaqa partnership and engage with resort operators, investors and public-sector stakeholders on the rollout.
Björn Antonsson, Regional CEO of Candela APAC:Fiji is uniquely positioned to become a global leader in sustainable waterborne transport. Tourism depends on Fiji’s extraordinary marine environment, but there is also a growing need for greater energy independence and resilience.
Electric vessels can help address both — and with partners like Green Pacific Shipping and Sea Fiji, we can now turn that vision into a real service on the water.
According to a case study carried out by Candela, a fleet of two P-12 vessels have the potential to reduce annual operating costs by up t0 42% whilst avoiding up to 26,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions over a 15-year period – all whilst removing the need for diesel fuels, as the vessels can recharge from floating solar systems.
