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

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/    

Kimbe Port in Papua New Guinea’s West New Britain Province is set for a significant upgrade, with a PGK80 million contract awarded to local firm Global Construction Ltd to deliver critical land side upgrades.

The project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and delivered in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea and PNG Ports Corporation Limited.

The upgrades will improve core port infrastructure, including pavement reconstruction, drainage, terminal lighting, and firefighting systems.

Key buildings such as the port office, cargo shed and passenger terminal will also be refurbished to improve safety, functionality and user experience.

The works are expected to create over 300 local jobs, with 70 per cent of the workforce to be sourced locally, providing employment and skills development in West New Britain.

Speaking at the signing, the Hon. William Duma MP, Minister for State Enterprises, noted the significance of Australian support.

“For the people and Government of Australia to be able to come back and help us with the AIFFP program means a lot to us. If you look at the history of Kimbe, Bialla, Rabaul, even Manus, nearly all of them were built by the Australians themselves more than 50 years ago the fact that the Government and the people of Australia decided to help us reflects the long and enduring relationship we have with our closest neighbour, the people of Australia,” he said.

The Governor of West New Britain, the Hon. Sasindran Muthuvel MP, welcomed the project and added that developing the port to international standards would improve business and support employment opportunities and bring much-needed development.

The Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Mr Ewen McDonald said the PGK80 million contract will create employment and provide skills development opportunities for both West New Britain and  Papua New Guinea more broadly.

“Using projects to provide opportunities for national industry should be a goal for all development partners in Papua New Guinea. Relying only on international firms misses opportunities for lasting economic gains,” he added.

The land side contract follows the earlier award of marine works to Pacific Marine Group Pty Ltd.

Together, the contractors will deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose facility that meets the growing needs of the province and its people. Construction is expected to begin shortly and be completed by 2026.

The Kimbe Port project is part of AIFFP’s PGK1.6 billion Ports Infrastructure Investment Program, which is supporting upgrades at ports across Papua New Guinea, including in Kavieng, Daru, Oro Bay and Lae. 

These investments are improving connectivity, enhancing trade, and supporting inclusive growth across the country.

Learn more about Australia’s investment in Upgrading ports across Papua New Guinea.

Last week, one of Vanuatu’s first REnew Pacific projects, led by Respond Global, achieved its second major milestone in record speed, installing a new 15kW off-grid solar system at Quatvaes Hospital, Torba.

Quatvaes Hospital is Torba’s main provincial hospital, serving over 11,000 people in one of the most remote off-grid areas of Vanuatu. It previously operated without reliable power, which meant the local community couldn’t always access safe, consistent healthcare when they needed it most.

Now, they are able to access:

· Healthcare services, including emergency care, powered 24/7 by clean, reliable energy

· Life-saving equipment like oxygen concentrators and critical diagnostic tools like a new X-ray machine

· Telemedicine via satellite internet.

This is a powerful example of how practical climate solutions can transform essential services for people living in hard-to-reach places. As Waven Aranhabat, Provincial Health Planner, said: "This milestone marks a profound transformation for both hospital staff and patients."

This is the second installation in under a month for this REnew Pacific project, one of the first in Vanuatu, which will reach 40 remote health facilities over the next year, supporting over 80,000 people. In partnership with the National Green Energy Fund - NGEF Vanuatu, the REnew Pacific project will also be supporting local schools, removing e-waste and building long-term skills through partnerships with the Vanuatu Institute of Technology.

Learn more about the project  here 

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, a $350million initiative for climate infrastructure in the region delivered by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific.

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

One of Vanuatu’s first REnew Pacific projects, led by Respond Global, has already begun installing the first of 20 new solar power systems in off-grid health facilities across the country, less than a month since launching.

The Respond Global team landed their HELPR 1 vessel on Loh Island in Vanuatu's remote Torba province to install the first new solar system at Loh’s Health Centre, which serves 2,000+ people, enabling the local health service to have reliable power for the first time.

This means:

· Night-time emergency care

· Safe vaccine and medicine storage

· Power for medical and office equipment.

This is the first milestone for the one-year project that will reach 40 remote health facilities to install or refurbish solar systems, supporting 80,000 people across Vanuatu. In partnership with the National Green Energy Fund - NGEF Vanuatu, the REnew Pacific project will also be supporting local schools, removing e-waste and building long-term skills through partnerships with the Vanuatu Institute of Technology.

🔗 Learn more about the project here

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, a $350 million initiative for climate infrastructure in the region delivered by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific.

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