LocationsUNDP Advances Raw Materials Assessment for Sustainable Construction in Fiji
November 12, 2025
(From right to left) Dr. Soumen Maity Chief Technical Officer at TARA, discusses the quality of clay sampled from a quarry near Suva, Fiji with Rigieta Ravuiwasa, Project Country Coordinator for the Development Minerals Programme at UNDP Pacific Office, along with MRD Technical Officers Wame Macedru and Nanise Soko.
Suva, Fiji – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Government of Fiji with support from European Union (EU), has conducted one of the concluding field missions to assess raw materials that could support sustainable construction in the country.
The four-day mission, held from 23-26 September across more than 10 sites in Suva and the Coral Coast (Sigatoka), forms part of Phase Three of the Development Minerals Programme, in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC), Smith Geoscience Consultancy, the University of Queensland,Australia, and Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA).
The mission focused on identifying local deposits of clay and limestone suitable for producing LC3 (limestone calcined clay cement), a next-generation low-carbon cement. LC3 can cut carbon emissions by up to 40 percent compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), while lowering costs and reducing reliance on import of clinker especially for Fiji and the Pacific Islands.
The team began with geological surveys supported by drone-based LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to generate high-resolution 3D terrain maps. This technology helps identify potential quarry sites, assess infrastructure needs, and support mining planning while minimizing environmental impact.
Robert Smith, Technical Consultant for Smith Geoscience, presents potential mineral deposits identified with LiDAR system to the mission team during the pre-mission briefing at MRD.
Field teams then sampled limestone and clay deposits, recording GPS coordinates and geological data for traceability. Two technical officers from Fiji’s Mineral Resources Department (MRD) received hands-on training on clay occurrences and formation, detection, modern sampling, and quality assurance techniques, which will help in building local expertise and strengthening national capacity for sustainable resource management.
The collected samples will undergo laboratory testing at TARA’s facilities in New Delhi, India, including mineralogical analysis, thermal performance assessments, and cement blend optimization. The results will determine whether Fiji’s clay and limestone can produce durable, high-quality LC3 cement.
Collected limestone sample from Coral Coast (Sigatoka) near Naidiri village. Details of the collected area, sampling stop, time, date, and GPS coordinates were logged.
Assessing Carbon and Economic Impacts
Alongside resource assessments, the mission is conducting lifecycle and carbon footprint analyses of cement production in Fiji. Findings will provide a clear comparison between LC3 and the current reliance on OPC and pozzolana cement with imported clinker. An economic options study will also explore production costs, potential financial returns, and the most efficient configurations for future LC3 plants in Fiji.
Findings from the mission will be presented at a one-day workshop during the 2025 STAR Conference in Suva this November, under the theme “Mineral Security in the Pacific: Supporting Resilient Supplies of Sustainable Construction Materials through the Blue Concrete Initiative.” The event will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, and development partners to raise awareness of LC3 and its potential economic, social, and environmental benefits for the Pacific.
A Concrete Step toward Sustainable Futures
“This mission marks a milestone in unlocking Fiji’s raw materials potential by laying the foundations for pilot production of LC3 in Fiji using local resources. It represents a landmark regional effort to reduce CO2 emissions from the cement industry by up to 40 percent, by promoting the use of LC3,” said Patrick Tuimalealiifano, UNDP Inclusive Growth Team Lead.
From groundbreaking studies of development minerals to building the capacity of future geoscientists, the Development Minerals Programme is helping Pacific communities stand firm against rising seas and stronger storms, by ensuring Fiji and the Pacific have the local resources to adapt and respond to the future impacts of climate change.
About the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme: The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme is an initiative of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, coordinated by the ACP Secretariat, financed by the European Commission and UNDP, and implemented by UNDP. The programme aims to raise the profile and improve the management of Development Minerals, including industrial minerals, construction materials, dimension stones, and semi-precious stones across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
For more information contact:
Rigieta Ravuiwasa, Project Country Coordinator - Development Minerals Programme | UNDP Pacific Office | (E) rigieta.leba.babitu.ravuiwasa@undp.org
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