Honiara, 28 March 2024 - The Tina River Hydropower Development Project has a new Project Manager with the appointment of former Solomon Power CEO, Pradip Verma. With over 25 years of professional project management experience in large infrastructure projects, Pradip brings a wealth of expertise to the team and is looking forward to leading the transformational project through its construction phase.
The Tina River Hydropower Development Project is the first large utility-scale renewable energy project for the Solomon Islands delivering benefits such as more affordable electricity and improved accessibility to cleaner, more reliable energy sources for communities now and in the future. Mr Verma is no stranger to the Project and looks forward to collaborating with stakeholders. “It’s great to be back in Honiara and I’m honoured to be working on such an important project for this country and the people,” he says. “There is a lot to be done and I am glad to have inherited a competent and hardworking Project Office team to work alongside.”
As part of a competent Team Pradip has successfully managed numerous significant infrastructure projects, including the Liapootah-Palmerston No 2 and Waddamana-Lindisfarne 220kV transmission lines in Australia, as well as upgrades at various hydro stations. Notably, his leadership at Solomon Power resulted in the successful delivery of projects such as the Taro and Seghe hybrids, transformer replacements, solar farms, and substation upgrades.
“My aim is to establish short-term performance targets and long-term strategic objectives while nurturing and training staff across all project components,” Pradip says. “I am focussed on promoting collaboration and continuity within the team, ensuring that each member is aware of their responsibilities and accountabilities, and I want to prioritise capacity building for our staff.”
He plans to engage stakeholders, address issues promptly, and encourage a culture of open communication to tackle environmental and social challenges efficiently. “A part of my leadership role will be to ensure I set an example by visiting the sites and communities regularly and encourage the team to continue to do the same. This way we can ensure we monitor the progress and keep up to date on the action items being worked on by our partners THL, EPC contractor HEC and their sub-contractors.”
Mr Verma commenced his role as Project Manager in March 2024 and will be working closely with the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification under the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) as well as multiple stakeholders who finance and support the Project including the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Asian Development Bank, the Government of Australia, the Green Climate Fund, Korea EX-IM Economic Development Cooperation Fund, and the World Bank.
ENDS//