Around 600 students and 31 teachers at Goldie College in Solomon Islands’ Western Province are celebrating their new solar energy system delivering reliable, 24/7 power to support learning and school life.

Delivered through a REnew Pacific partnership between Superfly Limited, Goldie College and the Australian Government, the project will provide consistent electricity to power classrooms, improve study conditions and support the wider school community.

The official handover brought together government leaders, partners and the local community to celebrate this achievement, including representatives from Solomon Islands Government and the Australian High Commission.

Acting Australia’s High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Andrew Schloeffel, said the project highlights how renewable energy systems can improve education outcomes. 

“Renewable energy is cheap, clean and reliable, and a great solution to deliver more opportunities for students in remote areas,” said Acting High Commissioner Schloeffel.

“We’re also proud to partner with local businesses like Superfly to deliver these practical improvements for Solomon Islanders across the country.” 

Superfly Director, Gavin Pereira, said the project demonstrates how renewable energy can support both education and long-term development outcomes. 

“Access to reliable electricity is critical for schools. This system will enable students and teachers to learn and live more comfortably, while also providing a model that can be scaled to other communities,” said Mr Pereira.

Goldie College is one of three sites being supported through REnew Pacific’s first Solomon Islands project, which will support more than 81,000 people across Isabel, Western and Malaita provinces through improved access to renewable energy.

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 $350 million initiative delivered through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and implemented by Palladium.

Learn more.

Staff from the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) have improved their understanding of issues relating to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) in the delivery of major infrastructure projects, thanks to the training provided through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).

The focused training, delivered in collaboration with specialist training provider Evawtech over five days to senior leaders and board members as well as safeguards, human resources, procurement, finance, communications, technical and delivery teams, aimed to build leadership and staff capacity to better understand, protect from and respond to issues related SEAH. It covered topics including gender-based violence in road operations and engineering; SEAH expectations during procurement and of contractors; SEAH complaints handling; and inducting FRA staff and contractors on SEAH matters.

Evawtech Gender-Based Violence Specialist, Tevita Seruilumi, said the training aimed to equip staff to respond to instances of SEAH in their everyday work. “We’ve talked based on the experiences of the participants on a lot of realistic situations but also talking to them about possible responses from FRA in relation to diverse groups that FRA engages with,” he said.

The AIFFP and FRA are working together to improve roads and bridges across Viti Levu, with the Fiji Transport Infrastructure Restoration investment having upgraded more than 1.5 million square metres of road surface and eight critical bridges.

The training module forms part of the project, with the AIFFP committed to supporting partners beyond project delivery and building corporate capacity. In 2024, FRA launched its first-ever strategic plan with support from the AIFFP.

FRA Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Apisai Ketenilagi, said the training was particularly valuable for FRA’s male leaders. “It provided an opportunity for participants to differentiate between gender attributes, privileges and opportunities associated with specific genders, as well as understand the different types of gender-based violence and safeguarding measures,” he said.

The completion of Tonga’s second international undersea cable, the Tonga Hawaiki Cable Branch System, was celebrated in Vava’u today by HRH Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala. 

The cable will provide essential back up support to Tonga’s existing international undersea cable, strengthening Tonga’s telecommunications resilience and enabling a more reliable service for communities and businesses.

With a focus on long term sustainability, the project has supported Tonga Cable Limited staff capability development, including through training in system maintenance and business planning, to build in country expertise and sustain ongoing operations.

This project is jointly funded by Australia, through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) with a grant of AUD35.6 million, and a contribution of AUD19 million from New Zealand. 

This initiative forms part of Australia’s ongoing efforts to bolster telecommunications resilience across the Pacific and ensure communities have access to secure, reliable digital connectivity.

Today 23 June on International Women in Engineering Day, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) celebrates the women designing, building and delivering infrastructure across the Pacific.

Graduate engineer Leilla Lialu is applying her civil engineering training to real-world situations working for Pacific Marine Group on the marine infrastructure works of the Kimbe Port Refurbishment Project under the AIFFP's PNG Ports Infrastructure Investment Program. Leilla is building her technical and management skills by overseeing dredging, pile driving and lab testing, alongside supporting project managers with daily reporting and contract administration. 

Originally considering a career in mining engineering, Leilla was encouraged by her family to study civil engineering given the range of career pathways it presents – “you could work on roads, you could work on bridges, on buildings, anything. Anything you want to be, you can work on it.” This is proving true as Leilla sees her experience on the Kimbe Port Refurbishment Project broadening her career ambitions and potential future opportunities. 

In line with the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles, the AIFFP embeds local content and inclusivity across its investments - creating opportunities for Pacific women and their businesses to participate in infrastructure projects and supporting local jobs, skills development and inclusive economic growth.

 Leilla’s experience reflects our shared commitment across the Pacific to inclusive, transformative and locally driven infrastructure. Our investments are not only building physical infrastructure but also elevating the next generation of Pacific women engineers and creating pathways for them to participate, lead and shape the future of infrastructure in the Pacific.

Students and teachers at two rural schools in Fiji’s Serua Province are now learning with clean, reliable energy and internet, following the launch of new solar energy systems and Starlink at Nuku Secondary School and St Peter Chanel Primary School last week.

Nuku Secondary School, which serves 121 students in Nuku and surrounding villages, and nearby St Peter Chanel Primary School, which serves 110 students, have both received new solar power systems, internet connectivity and digital learning equipment to support classrooms and teacher residences.

Delivered through a partnership between It’s Time Foundation, Fiji’s Ministry of Education and the Australian Government through REnew Pacific, 31 schools across Fiji, including these two, are receiving 24-hour solar power, internet connectivity and digital learning facilities, building on an earlier successful pilot on Rabi Island.

Fiji’s Minister for Education, the Honourable Aseri Radrodro, and Australia’s High Commissioner to Fiji, H.E. Peter Roberts, joined students, teachers and community members at Nuku Secondary School to mark the commissioning of this new infrastructure. 

Minister Radrodro said reliable electricity from solar systems can transform learning in rural communities, helping ensure students and teachers have the power, connectivity and opportunities they need to thrive.

High Commissioner Roberts said: “It was wonderful to join the Hon. Minister Radrodro, the school community and, of course, the students of Nuku Secondary and St Peter Chanel Primary schools to celebrate the commissioning of this project. It’s a powerful example of how renewable energy infrastructure can build resilience and strengthen education outcomes for remote and maritime communities. Australia is proud to partner with Fiji to help ensure schools have the energy and technology they need.”

Rob Edwards, CEO, It’s Time Foundation, said: “This project is helping close the energy and technology gap for rural and remote schools. With a long-term maintenance model in place, these systems are designed to support students and teachers for generations to come.”

REnew Pacific is Australia’s $75 million investment in off-grid renewable energy for rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. In Fiji, REnew Pacific is also supporting a second project delivered in partnership between the Global Green Growth Institute, the Water Authority of Fiji and the Department of Water and Sewerage, which will install solar-hybrid and water pumping systems in seven maritime island communities, improving water reliability for nearly 5,000 people across Lakeba, Rotuma and Vanuabalavu.

REnew Pacific is part of the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership, a $350 million Australian Government initiative delivered by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).

Find out more.

More than 100 leaders from across government, industry, community and development came together in Suva, Fiji for the REnew Pacific Annual Forum this week.

The Forum opened with a reception at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva on Wednesday evening, as the Sustainable Energy Industry Association of the Pacific Islands (SEIAPI) Conference closed.

Fiji’s Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport, the Hon. Ro Filipe Tuisawau, and the Australian High Commissioner to Fiji, His Excellency Peter Roberts OAM, joined the reception to highlight the importance of collaboration in expanding clean energy access across the region, and the strength of the Fiji-Australia partnership. The evening provided a fantastic opportunity for attendees to connect across sectors and build momentum ahead of the Forum.

The following day, the REnew Pacific Annual Forum focused on sharing practical delivery experience and lessons to support more effective approaches to off-grid clean energy across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. The event began with opening remarks from Fiji’s Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport, the Hon. Ro Filipe Tuisawau, and Clair McNamara, Deputy High Commissioner at the Australian High Commission in Fiji, emphasized the importance of strong partnerships and sustained investment in off-grid energy delivery across Fiji and the region.

Nick Murphy, Investment Manager at the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), highlighted Australia’s support for off-grid clean energy across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, with REnew Pacific Team Leader Mohammed Angawi showcasing the program’s significant progress after only one year.

The spotlight then turned to real-world delivery experience from REnew Pacific and Business Partnerships Platform (BPP) partnerships, with speakers sharing practical insights from across the region:

• From sea to clinic: HELPR-1 powering Vanuatu’s remote health centres
  Dr Basil Leodoro, Director of HELPR-1 Operations | Respond Global
• Strengthening water access and resilience with hybrid energy for Fiji’s maritime islands
  Norbert Maass, Country Representative Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu | Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
• Securing access to renewable energy on Solomon Islands’ Savo Island
  John Marsh, Managing Director | Archipelago Energy
• Empowering local women and enabling greater access to clean energy and water in Kiribati
  Praveen Lata, Head of Program Operations | Action on Poverty
• Harnessing the circular economy to tackle solar e-waste in Vanuatu
  Dr Paul Munro, Associate Professor | University of New South Wales (UNSW)
• Powering a sustainable solar energy model for Fiji’s remote school communities
  Rob Edwards, CEO and Founder | It’s Time Foundation

A keynote address from Patrick Tuimalealiifano, Team Leader for Inclusive Growth at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), highlighted what it takes to scale solutions that work in complex and remote environments.

REnew Pacific’s Partnerships and Portfolio Lead, Ravinesh Nand, moderated a fascinating panel discussion exploring partnerships, maintenance models and the realities of delivering off-grid energy across remote communities and dispersed island contexts. Panellists included:

• Jen Ramamurthy, Co-founder | Sola PayGo
• Dr Komeri Onorio, Founder and Managing Director | EcoCare
• Skye Haigh, Practice Lead – Remote Development | Ekistica
• Vineil Narayan, Project Manager | United Nations Development Programme.

Attendees then took part in an energising interactive session to collaborate and reflect on shared challenges and identify opportunities to strengthen delivery across the region.

The Forum provided a valuable opportunity to share practical experience and strengthen connections across the clean energy ecosystem, helping inform future policy, investment and partnership approaches to expand off-grid energy access to communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste.

Thank you to all speakers, panellists and participants for being part of REnew Pacific’s inaugural Annual Forum!

REnew Pacific is Australia’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), delivered through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and implemented by Palladium. 

Find out more about the program.

Residents of the remote outer island of Aranuka in Kiribati recently celebrated the completion of a new solar-powered electricity and clean water project that is bringing reliable energy and safe water to more than 1,000 people.

Delivered by Action on Poverty through the Australian Government’s Business Partnerships Platform (BPP), the partnership with the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific Kiribati (FSPK) and local communities installed solar-powered battery systems and solar water pumps across all five communities on the island, powering three schools and five community halls. Six new communal freshwater wells fitted with solar pumps are also being installed to help address the island’s longstanding water access challenges.

For many families on Aranuka, access to electricity and safe drinking water has long been limited. With no connection to a power grid and scarce freshwater resources, many households collected water several times a day, a task often carried out by women. Before the new system, around two-thirds of households made more than two trips daily, while about a third did not always have access to safe drinking water.

Women’s leadership has been central to the project’s design. Twenty women now hold leadership roles across five community Infrastructure Management Committees, established to oversee the operation and maintenance of the systems. Committee members have received training in equipment maintenance, financial literacy and good governance, as well as gender equality and community leadership.

Action on Poverty’s Asia and Pacific Program Manager, Michiyo Yamada, said: “Empowering women to lead and manage the systems was central is the project’s long-term success. Women are already at the heart of water and energy management in their communities. By strengthening their leadership and technical skills, we are helping ensure these systems can be maintained locally and continue delivering benefits for many years to come,” Ms Yamada said.

Foundation for the Peoples of South Pacific Kiribati (FSPK) Program Coordinator, Ruiti Aretaake, said “Working closely with communities across Aranuka has helped ensure these systems respond to real needs on the island. Reliable power and water will support healthier and more resilient communities.”

This is a pilot for REnew Pacific, Australia’s $75 million investment to power off-grid communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste with renewable energy. REnew Pacific 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).

Find out more.