Australia’s support includes an AUD91.9 million financing package for the Laitim Hauslain project to improve national power infrastructure. This investment will connect 30,000 to 40,000 households, schools and clinics in Morobe and East New Britain provinces to electricity, many for the first time.

Australia’s financing forms part of the PNG Electrification Partnership, which supports a key Papua New Guinean Government priority to achieve 70 per cent electrification by 2030. Improved access to electricity will improve economic and development outcomes in Papua New Guinean, support economic development in local communities, and improve the delivery of vital services for the people of Papua New Guinea.

Australia has also invested AUD76.3 million to support the national road network, connecting communities and supporting improved access to markets. The investment will support the Papua New Guinean Department of Works and Highways to undertake long-term rehabilitation and maintenance of approximately 359 kms of roads along the Wau Highway in Morobe Province and the Sepik Highway in East Sepik and West Sepik (Sandaun) provinces.

Funding will contribute to designs for the proposed Trans-National Highway. This will assist the Papua New Guinean Government progress their priority Connect PNG Strategy, a plan to increase strategic connections across Papua New Guinea’s four regions over the next 20 years.

Both investments will provide employment for Papua New Guinean people and use local materials where possible, to help stimulate Papua New Guinea’s economy and recovery from COVID-19.

Laitim Hauslain Project

Wau and Sepik Highways 

For more information, contact aiffp@dfat.gov.au

*Updated AUD figure based on exchange rate: 1.0AUD/0.70USD

The upgrade, to be delivered by AIFFP in partnership with the Nauru Department of Transport, includes resurfacing of the runway and upgrade of some critical air traffic control equipment. The funding will also enable climate-resilient upgrades to sections of the Nauru ring road.

As a small and remote island-state, Nauru is heavily dependent on the airport to connect Nauruans with their families overseas and deliver fresh food, medicine and other critical supplies.

The airport upgrade is a major infrastructure priority for Nauru, and its people, and will ensure the airport continues to operate safely and meet international standards.

Joint statement: Australia-Nauru cooperation on critical transport infrastructure | Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Minister for Women (archived link)

Nauru airport refurbishment 

Australia, through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, is providing a USD22 million financing package to Solar Pacific Pristine Power for a landmark solar and battery energy storage facility in Palau.  

The financing was announced by the Minster for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Marise Payne during her visit to the Republic of Palau in December 2021. The agreements were signed on Monday 31 January 2022.

The project will deliver high-quality, renewable and sustainable energy infrastructure for Palau. It is anticipated to provide approximately 20 per cent of the country’s energy needs reducing dependency on imported diesel for power generation.

Palau Solar Plant Investment | The Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP)

For more information contact aiffp@dfat.gov.au

Earlier this month, two barges loaded with plant and equipment critical for the maritime works at Kimbe port departed from Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The journey will take approximately 12 days and will deliver equipment to commence construction at Kimbe port in West New Britain.

The Kimbe marine works are part of the Ports Infrastructure Investment Program (PIIP) funded by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), which will upgrade five ports across PNG (Kimbe, Oro Bay, Daru, Kavieng, and Lae).

Earlier this year, Pacific Marine Group Pty Ltd (PMG) was contracted to undertake the complex marine works at Kimbe, with the contract valued at PGK260 million. This project is anticipated to boost to the local economy and provide opportunities for local Papua New Guinean firms delivering benefits to the local community. The work is expected to support access to greater economic opportunity to the people of West New Britain through local employment and skills development opportunities.

CEO of PNG Ports Corporation Ltd, Mr Neil Papenfus says that he’s happy to see significant progress with mobilisation of PMG into Kimbe.

“It is exciting to see. As we draw closer to commencement of work, we are committed to ensuring the project is delivered on time, on budget and to international standards for the benefit of the people of Papua New Guinea,” he said.

Business Development Manager for PMG Mr Andrew Morris is also pleased to see this collaboration advance.

“We’ve officially moved into the mobilisation phase of the Kimbe Port Redevelopment with a strong team and a clear vision for the future of this critical infrastructure,” he said.

The project involves the demolition and construction of a new wharf structure as well as restoration works to the existing wharf and revetment walls with works scheduled to conclude in 2026.

In the coming months local firm Global Constructions Ltd will also mobilise to Kimbe and commence the shore-based works at the port through a contract valued at PGK79 million.

The deployment of this equipment is a very welcome first step just ahead of Papua New Guinea’s golden jubilee celebrations for the 50th Independence Anniversary in September. Progressing this work and enhancing vital maritime links to Kimbe is an important milestone and a great tribute to the very close relationship that PNG shares with Australia.

Fixim Sola, a new solar repair training course launched last month in Vanuatu’s Tafea Province, is giving local communities the tools, skills and confidence to manage solar waste, improve energy access and create new job opportunities.

Launched in June, 48 participants from five islands, including 18 women and four people with disabilities, took part in two weeks of hands-on learning led by the University of New South Wales in partnership with the Vanuatu Disability Promotion Advocacy Association, Vanuatu Institute of Technology, University of the South Pacific and the Vanuatu Department of Energy. 

Jocelyn Iaioha, a single mother from South West Tanna, hopes the skills she gained will help launch a new career. “I’m hoping to become an entrepreneur and start a business in solar system operations to earn money. It is hard, but I believe and trust in myself that I can do it. If I can do it, other women can too - and I will be a role model for my daughter.”

Roy Daniel, a police officer who maintains the emergency radio system for Tafea Province, also took part. “Fixim Sola is very important because many people across Tafea have solar systems. It’s important for us to have the knowledge and tools to fix them properly.”

Hear from participants about what the training meant to them.

The training is part of a larger initiative to tackle solar e-waste in off-grid communities and support the creation of local repair and recycling systems. In August, trained participants will take part in planning sessions to set up community repair hubs, lead local repair days, raise awareness about maintenance and cyclone preparedness, and share their new skills with others.

A school-based program will also begin in September at Lini Memorial High School on Pentecost Island, helping young people understand solar technology and develop practical skills for the future.

The Fixim Sola course is one part of a broader solar panel recycling and reuse program in Vanuatu, supported by the Australian Government. Over time, the program is expected to benefit more than 55,000 people.

Since 2024, Australia has invested around AUD 5 million in off-grid renewable energy projects in Vanuatu through the Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships, a pilot program under REnew Pacific. The partnership is supported through the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350 million Australian Government initiative delivered by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).

Learn more about the partnership: Harnessing the circular economy to tackle solar e-waste in Vanuatu.

Reliable solar energy and clean water are now powering essential health services for more than 7,100 people on Vanuatu’s remote Ambae, thanks to REnew Pacific’s HELPR-1 project.

This follows the installation of a new off-grid solar power and water systems at Nduindui Health Centre and Lolopuepue Dispensary, part of the HELPR-1 Climate Adaptation Program, delivered by Respond Global in partnership with Vanuatu’s National Green Energy Fund through REnew Pacific. 

This project will see Respond Global transport and install 20 new off-grid solar power systems and upgrade 20 additional health facilities across Vanuatu’s six provinces.

At Nduindui Health Centre, the project has installed a 10kW off-grid solar system alongside two 6,000 litre water tanks, providing running water and clean, sustainable power to clinical services and staff accommodation. At Lolopuepue Dispensary, a 10kW solar system has been integrated with an upgraded 10,000 litre water tank to deliver reliable water for handwashing and staff facilities.

The new infrastructure was officially commissioned in a ceremony led by Vanuatu’s Minister of Health, Hon. John Still Tari Qetu, and is ready for immediate use. Additional medical equipment will be delivered later this year to further strengthen healthcare delivery for local community members.

The Minister of Health and a local Member of Parliament have also donated two Starlink units, to be installed at both health centres to provide reliable internet connectivity. These Starlinks are part of eight units secured for Penama Province, with three donated by local MPs and five by the Penama Provincial Government.

REnew Pacific is the Australian Government’s $75 million commitment to expanding clean, reliable off-grid renewable energy in rural and remote Pacific and Timor-Leste communities. Over the next five years, the program will fund locally-led projects that improve lighting, water, healthcare, education, agriculture and resilient livelihoods.

Respond Global’s HELPR-1 is actively bringing the REnew Pacific vision to life by demonstrating how locally led, community-focused solutions can deliver practical climate resilience and transform essential services in even the most remote parts of Vanuatu.

Learn more about the project.

REnew Pacific is the Australian Government’s $75 million investment in off-grid renewable energy for rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. It’s part of the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350million initiative for climate infrastructure in the region delivered by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).

Visit the REnew Pacific website for more information and to sign up for updates.

Senior representatives from Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati, Nauru, Japan and the United States came together in Japan this week to attend the East Micronesia Cable Project Executive Board meeting. 

Participants celebrated the excellent progress in project delivery to date, with civil works and installation of prefabricated Cable Landing Stations at the four cable landing sites in Kosrae and Pohnpei, FSM, Tarawa in Kiribati and Nauru, in final stages of completion. Loading of the cable onto the cable lay ship the Normand Clipper commenced in late May, with the laying of the cable scheduled to start in July.

The East Micronesia Cable will bring faster, high quality and more reliable and affordable internet to more than 100,000 people across FSM, Kiribati and Nauru, providing better access to services, information and worldwide markets. 

Discussions between the six partner governments focused on business and financial planning as well as system operations and maintenance in preparation for the cable being ready for service by November 2025. 

The delegation also visited the East Micronesia Cable project’s submarine cable supplier NEC Corporation’s factory in Otsuki, where a range of equipment for the 2,250-kilometre-long cable is being manufactured. The USD95 million (AUD135 million) project is funded through grants from Australia, Japan and the United States, and will deliver a submarine telecommunications cable and supporting infrastructure connecting Kiribati, Nauru and the state of Kosrae in FSM to the existing HANTRU-1 cable landing point located in Pohnpei, FSM.

Read more about the project.

The solar “hub” at Takataka Cultural Centre in Solomon Islands’ Malaita province is now installed and energised, a major milestone for the Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnership between Superfly Limited, Mai-Ma’asina Green Belt (MMGB), Save the Children Solomon Islands and the Australian Government.

Serving a community of more than 4,000, the Cultural Centre is well on its way to becoming a major solar-powered “hub” for the region, with affordable solar kits as "spokes" for local businesses and households to improve energy access across remote areas of East Are’are.

Once complete, the solar system will power the cultural centre, freezers for cold storage and a charging station for an electric boat. It’s also laying the groundwork for a scalable, community-driven solution to energy challenges in other remote communities across Solomon Islands.

Learn more about this partnership: https://thebpp.com.au/partnership/energising-solomon-islands-malaita-community-with-affordable-solar-power/

The Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships are part of our Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership initiative to expand AIFFP’s climate investments.

REnew Pacific is AIFFP’s new $75 million program to power off-grid communities across the Pacific and Timor Leste, like this one, with renewable energy.

Find out more: https://renewpacific.com.au/