The Oil Crisis Is Hitting Fiji Hard. Flying Electric Ferries Can Help.

As fuel prices surge in Fiji, food, medicine and tourism are caught in a chokehold. Candela, Green Pacific Shipping and Sea Fiji are signing a Memorandum of Understanding to bring a fleet of Candela P-12 electric hydrofoil vessels to Fiji under the VukaWaqa brand.

NADI, Fiji

Pacific island nations are grappling with rising fuel costs and supply uncertainty — recent oil market disruptions have laid bare just how exposed diesel-dependent economies can be. In Fiji, fuel prices have surged sharply over the past year, squeezing household budgets and pushing up the cost of food, medicine, tourism and everyday essentials.

Waterborne transport is the backbone of Fiji’s economy — powering tourism and keeping communities connected across more than 300 islands. The fuel crisis is felt directly through higher travel fares, food prices and the cost of basic supplies.

In response, Swedish electric hydrofoil maker Candela, together with operator and financing partner Green Pacific Shipping and Fijian operating partner Sea Fiji, are signing a Memorandum of Understanding to deploy a fleet of Candela P-12 electric hydrofoil vessels in Fiji.

The service is intended to operate under a local brand, VukaWaqa, replacing conventional diesel transfer boats on the busy routes serving Fiji’s outer-island resorts in the Mamanuca and Yasawa groups. First vessels are scheduled to enter service in 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, Sea Fiji will lead in-country operations, local crewing and customer experience, and Candela will supply the vessels, train crew and technicians, and support the build-up of local maintenance capability in Fiji.

Representatives of all three parties will be attending AHICE Fiji this month, where they will present the VukaWaqa partnership and engage with resort operators, investors and public-sector stakeholders on the rollout.

By flying above the water on computer-controlled hydrofoils, Candela’s P-12 electric vessel uses up to 80 percent less energy than conventional fast boats. The technology dramatically reduces fuel consumption while also cutting wake, noise and emissions, and enables the long range needed at high speed to replace diesel vessels.

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 Candela case study on a typical Fijian resort transfer route, a fleet of two P-12 vessels could reduce annual operating costs by up to 42 percent while avoiding up to 26,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions over a 15-year period – while freeing the operator from dependency on diesel fuel, as the vessels can recharge from floating solar battery systems. Under the MoU, the Parties have committed to jointly explore such renewable charging solutions for the VukaWaqa fleet.

“Fiji’s tourism industry depends on reliable, comfortable transfers and on protecting the reefs and waters that draw guests here in the first place,” said Matthew Lambert, co-founder of Green Pacific Shipping. “Combining Candela’s technology with Sea Fiji’s local expertise, VukaWaqa is designed to deliver a premium guest experience and a step-change in resilience for operators.”

Candela’s electric hydrofoil vessels are already operating in public transport service in Stockholm, Sweden, where they have demonstrated significant reductions in energy use while maintaining high speed and much better passenger comfort. The company has also announced deployments in the Maldives, Mumbai and Norway.

For Fiji, reducing dependence on imported fuel is about more than sustainability. It is about resilience. By using a fraction of the energy required by conventional fast boats, and by enabling renewable charging, electric hydrofoils could help shield operators from future fuel price shocks while protecting the reefs and marine environments that underpin the country’s tourism industry.

The MoU establishes a framework for the Parties to finalize definitive commercial agreements in the coming months, ahead of planned vessel deliveries in mid-2027.

About Candela

Candela is a Swedish technology company and the global leader in electric hydrofoiling vessels. Its computer-controlled hydrofoils lift vessels above the water at high speed, cutting energy use by up to 80% compared with conventional fast boats and eliminating wake, noise and local emissions. Candela P-12 vessels are in service in Stockholm and have been ordered for deployment in the Maldives, Mumbai, Norway and other markets.

About Green Pacific Shipping

Green Pacific Shipping is the operator and financing partner for the VukaWaqa service, responsible for vessel ownership, financing and overall fleet operations across the Pacific region.

About Sea Fiji

Sea Fiji is the local Fijian operating partner for the VukaWaqa service, leading in-country operations, crewing, port coordination and customer experience between Nadi/Denarau and the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands.