Over 84,000 people across Vanuatu’s remote off-grid communities will soon have better access to water, healthcare or education services, thanks to the country’s first two REnew Pacific projects, announced today.

REnew Pacific is the Australian Government’s new $75 million investment in off-grid renewable energy for rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including Vanuatu.

Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change, Adaptation, Geohazards, Meteorology & Energy, the Hon. Ralph Regenvanu and Australia’s High Commissioner to Vanuatu H.E. Max Willis officially launched REnew Pacific’s first project in Betervat, Malekula at a special event with local leaders and the community.

The two-year project, led by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), will bring solar-powered water pumping systems to eight rural communities across Vanuatu’s Santo, Paama, Tanna and Malekula islands, improving water security and sanitation for over 4,700 people. It will also equip 24 health centres and schools with solar PV systems and battery storage, providing reliable, clean and affordable energy. Find out more.

An additional REnew Pacific project will benefit around 80,000 people in Vanuatu’s most remote communities, delivering reliable 24/7 energy to healthcare services for the first time. 

Respond Global, through its unique HELPR-1 vessel, will transport and install 20 new off-grid solar power systems and upgrade 20 additional health facilities across all Vanuatu’s six provinces. This project will improve local healthcare delivery and supply essential medical equipment and also repair and upgrade existing off-grid systems in schools, clinics and community buildings, removing e-waste and training local community members to support ongoing maintenance. Find out more.

Both projects are supported by Vanuatu’s National Green Energy Fund (NGEF) and the Australian Government.

REnew Pacific is part of the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350 million initiative focused on climate infrastructure in the region, delivered by the Australian Government’s Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).

Over the next five years, REnew Pacific will fund locally-led projects that bring clean, reliable energy to remote and rural off-grid Pacific communities, improving services like lighting, clean water, healthcare, education, agriculture and more. REnew Pacific now is inviting proposals for new off-grid renewable energy projects across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including Vanuatu. 

For more information and to apply for a grant, visit https://renewpacific.com.au.

Sixty households in Vanuatu’s remote Lawital village now have access to solar power, thanks to an AIFFP partnership between the Australian Government, ActionAid Vanuatu, PowerWells and the Women I TokTok Together (WITTT) Network.

Solar units are provided to households through the WITTT network at an affordable, monthly rent-to-own basis, with all funds going directly back into their community fund.

The partnership is not just powering homes - it’s empowering women with the skills and confidence to take ownership of their energy needs.

Last month, PowerWells visited Lawital to train local women in installing and maintaining their solar units. As PowerWells Founder, Bradley Clair said: “For many, this was their first time using a screwdriver - let alone power tools, multimeters, wire strippers, and soldering irons! But by the end of the training, they were assembling and installing solar systems like pros.”

Helen Bong, Finance and Operations Manager of ActionAid Vanuatu noted: “It was an exciting day. Every mama (women) in the community wanted to learn and practice. Most of them didn’t even know which wire was positive or negative, but they were eager to understand and do the job.”

All 115 Lawital households will have solar by June 2025. 

The Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships is part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP) initiative to expand the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific’s (AIFFP) climate investments. It does this by partnering with businesses to deliver reliable and sustainable renewable energy to remote and rural communities in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, implemented by the Business Partnerships Platform (BPP). 

Through AIFFP, the Australian Government has recently launched the first grant round for REnew Pacific, a new $75 million long-term off-grid renewable energy program to support communities like this one across the region, to mitigate, adapt and build resilience against climate change.

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

Join the upcoming REnew Pacific online partnership networking session on 7 April!

Date:        Monday, 7 April 2025
Time:         3:00pm – 4:00pm (AEST) 
Location:     Online 
Register here

REnew Pacific is the Australian Government’s new $75 million investment to deliver off-grid renewable energy to rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. It’s part of AIFFP’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350 million initiative focused on climate infrastructure that supports the region to transition away from fossil fuels, enhance energy security and drive climate-resilient development.

REnew Pacific is now accepting grant proposals for locally-led projects that will improve essential services for these communities, including lighting, water access, agriculture, healthcare, education and communications. Projects that improve energy access for women, people with disabilities, and diverse groups will be prioritised.

By attending this online session, you'll have the opportunity to:
•    Network and explore potential partnerships with other businesses, NGOs, community organisations, academic institutions, and government agencies interested in applying for a REnew Pacific project. 
•    Gain insights and answers to the frequently-asked questions the REnew Pacific team has received to help you successfully apply before applications close on 28 April 2025.

Register here to attend. Once you register, you’ll have the opportunity to share more about what you are looking for in a partner.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Missed the REnew Pacific information session?
REnew Pacific held an information session last month, covering everything you need to know about the program and how to apply. If you missed it, you can find it online here.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please visit the REnew Pacific website for more information or get in touch.
 

Australia is working closely with Fiji to rebuild its shipbuilding and repair industry, bringing new job opportunities and boosting the local economy. 

The Australian Government through the Australian High Commission in Suva and the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) has committed AUD1.2 million to support a detailed study and early works for a new shipbuilding and repair facility in Lautoka.

Last week, at a greenfield site in Lautoka, the proposed site of the Facility, Fiji’s Prime Minister, the Hon Sitiveni Rabuka and Australia’s High Commissioner to Fiji, His Excellency Mr Ewen McDonald, unveiled a proposed concept design for the new shipbuilding and repair facility.

In addition to the concept design, Australia handed over a report summarising Stage 1 of the Fiji Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Study to the Fijian Government, which informed the concept design to ensure it met industry best practices and aligned with Fiji’s maritime ambitions. 

The report identified the best location for the facility, analysed market demand, assessed available skills and infrastructure and outlined industry requirements.

Once fully operational, this project will create up to 120 jobs. To ensure Fijians can take up these roles, discussions are underway with the Ministry of Education on potential investment in vocational training and partnerships to ensure that Fijians are equipped with the skills needed to take up these roles.   

The next stage will involve a feasibility study to confirm whether the site is technically suitable and a business case to determine the commercial viability of the facility. These assessments will help finalise the design and are expected to be completed later this year.

The AIFFP’s investment will help to strengthen Fiji’s economy, build local expertise and position Fiji as a leader in regional maritime services. 

The project is a priority under the Australia Fiji Vuvale Partnership and Memorandum of Understanding on Port Infrastructure and Services, reinforcing Australia’s long-term commitment to supporting Fiji’s growth in the maritime sector.

Over 200 students from Papua New Guinea’s remote Kokoda College can now benefit from reliable, renewable energy with the launch of their new solar mini-grid this week.

The mini-grid will power classrooms, an IT lab inclusive of disability assistive technologies and vital infrastructure, such as solar water pump, an incinerator to support responsible waste management and a solar-powered irrigation system for a campus garden to enable climate-smart agriculture.

It’s made possible through a partnership between KTF (Kokoda Track Foundation) and the Australian Government, launched last year through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships.  

Australian High Commission Minister Counsellor, Dr Cate Rogers said: “Australia supports small scale, off-grid renewable energy infrastructure to boost development in remote and rural communities by providing reliable and clean energy and enhancing long-term climate resilience.”

Dr Genevieve Nelson, KTF’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The solar mini-grid is a game-changer for Kokoda College. It will provide much-needed energy to classrooms, enabling better learning outcomes and building pathways into higher education and employment, particularly in education and health.”

Stainless Bill, Kokoda College’s Principal, said: "With the launch of our solar mini-grid, it will provide much needed energy at Kokoda College campus. This life changing initiative will not only eradicate energy shortages but also empower our students to shine brighter in their educational journey by enabling effective teaching and learning."

The new solar grid unlocks a range of benefits for Kokoda College’s diverse student body. Through KTF’s Flexible Open Distance Education program, students pursuing a second chance at secondary education can improve their grades with greater flexibility as the grid provides better access to technology on campus and enables them to charge their digital tablets to continue their studies at home. This flexibility is particularly valuable for women, who represent more than half the student population.

This project is part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP) initiative to expand the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific’s (AIFFP) climate investments. It does this by partnering with businesses to deliver reliable and sustainable renewable energy to remote and rural communities in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, implemented by the Business Partnerships Platform (BPP).

The Australian Government has recently launched the first grant round for REnew Pacific, a new $75 million long-term off-grid renewable energy program to support communities like this one across the region, to mitigate, adapt and build resilience against climate change.

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

Faster, high quality and more reliable internet is one step closer for Pacific communities, with the first of four landing stations for the East Micronesia Cable installed last month.

The first cable landing station for the Improving digital connectivity in the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati and Nauru via submarine cable project has been installed in Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), with the cable landing station installations in Kiribati, Nauru and Kosrae, FSM planned for the coming months. 

The AUD135 million project is funded by Australia, with a grant of AUD60 million via the AIFFP, alongside Japan and the United States. It will deliver a 2,250-kilometre-long undersea cable and supporting infrastructure connecting Tarawa in Kiribati, Nauru and the state of Kosrae in FSM to the existing HANTRU-1 cable landing point located in Pohnpei, FSM.

Once in service, the cable is expected to provide more than 100,000 people across the three countries with more reliable internet, providing better access to services, information and worldwide markets.

The project will improve the availability of digital government services and enable increased trade and employment opportunities. It will also strengthen the countries’ resilience to climate change, assisting governments with disaster and climate change preparedness and reducing the chances of an outage in the event of adverse weather events.

Australia is proud to invest in high-quality, critical infrastructure projects which support increased economic growth and development.

The cable is expected to be ready for service in December 2025.

Read more about the project.

This International Women’s Day, Australia is proud to stand with Tongan women who are quite literally breaking new ground.

Through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), Australia is supporting the Upgrading Tonga’s international port project, a major investment to strengthen the Queen Salote International Wharf (QSIW).

Australia, through the AIFFP, together with the Asian Development Bank  and the Government of Tonga, is delivering AUD138.3 million in upgrades to strengthen Tonga’s primary port in Nuku’alofa.

This investment includes an AUD31.25 million AIFFP grant aimed at bolstering climate resilience, economic growth and sustainability.

But beyond better trade and transport, this project is giving more women the chance to step into the construction industry and prove that skill and hard work have no gender.

For decades, construction in Tonga was a male-dominated field. That’s changing. Women like ‘Ofa Halatanu and Susana Fihaki are now working as engineers, leading teams and shaping the country’s future.

‘Ofa Halatanu, a site engineer with AIFFP partner McConnell Dowell, says seeing more women on-site is something she never expected. 

“When I started, I was one of the only woman in my field. Now, we have women in every part of construction—engineering, carpentry, concrete testing. It’s not just about getting the job done; it’s about showing young girls in Tonga that they can be here too,” she said.

For Susana Fihaki, construction was a dream she didn’t think she could follow. 

“I was a nurse because that was what women were supposed to do,” she said. “But I loved building things. I studied architecture at night, and when I finally got the chance to work on this project, I took it. At first, it was strange telling men what to do on-site, but now I know I belong here,” she added.

They’re not alone. Their colleagues Lesieli Fatongiatau and ‘Asinate Tekina ki Fatumanongi ‘Ohuafi are taking on key roles in quality control at the project’s concrete factory. 

They’ve been trained to meet New Zealand’s standards for testing concrete, aggregates and soils—ensuring the materials used in this upgrade are strong, safe and built to last.

“This work matters,” said Lesieli. “Every mix, every test—it all adds up to something bigger. This isn’t just about today; it’s about building a future where women can do any job they want.”

Australia’s High Commissioner to Tonga, His Excellency Brek Batley, says the investment isn’t just about infrastructure, but opportunity.

“The Australian Government is committed to investing in skills, jobs and better infrastructure across the Pacific. It’s incredible to see so many women stepping into roles they might not have had access to. Projects like this create lasting change—not just in ports, but in communities and workplaces.”

Australia’s investment is making the port safer, more efficient and more resilient to natural disasters, as well as changing the workforce, as Tongan women prove construction isn’t just for men.

They are laying the foundation for something bigger—equal opportunities, better futures and a workforce in which women and men work side by side to build their country’s future.

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, real change is happening in remote communities across Fiji, where women are leading the way in renewable energy and young girls are being given new opportunities to learn.

On Rabi Island, where power was once unreliable and access to education was limited, a new solar energy system is transforming the way students – especially girls – experience learning. 

This has been made possible thanks to the Australian Government’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), via an Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnership with Its Time Foundation.

The two-year partnership, Piloting a sustainable solar energy model for Fiji’s remote school communities , will see the design and development of an effective model of monitoring and maintenance for solar energy systems within remote Fijian school communities, starting with Buakonikai Primary School on Rabi. Due to this project, Buakonikai Primary School now has a reliable, solar-powered energy system.

For years, the school’s four female teachers struggled with the lack of electricity. With 101 students relying on them, simple tasks like printing worksheets, sending emails or accessing the internet were nearly impossible. Students relied on outdated textbooks, teachers struggled to prepare teaching materials and digital learning was simply out of reach.

Now, with solar power in place, students have access to modern education tools for the first time. The Headteacher of Buakonikai Primary School, Mrs Katarina Tubekoro, said the provision of lights has enabled internet access for students, providing a new digital learning experience. 

"Before, our students had to imagine what the world looked like. Now, they can see it. We can show them real-life science experiments, documentaries, and lessons that make learning exciting.

"Rural and remote maritime schools like Buakonikai have their own set of challenges. Rabi is such an isolated part of Fiji, sometimes it feels like another country on its own. Now these students can see the world, and not be left behind," Mrs Tubekoro says.

For Buakonikai Primary School teacher Mrs Margaret Corrie, originally from Rabi, this change is personal.

"Science was one of the hardest subjects to teach without textbooks. Now, with smart TVs and internet access, students can see what they’re learning. Their curiosity has grown, and so has their understanding.

"As I am from Rabi, this change is special to me, I did not have access to lights or electricity growing up, but the kids I teach including my own children now do thanks to this project," she adds.

The impact of the project goes beyond the classroom. Many students, who come from homes without electricity, now stay at school after dark to study under solar-powered lights.

"The first time they saw a digital TV, they were amazed. Now, they don’t want to leave school because they’re so eager to learn," Mrs Corrie adds.

But this shift in education wouldn’t be possible without the women working behind the scenes like Ms Vasiti Talakubu, who are bringing power to rural and maritime communities and inspiring the next generation of women and girls to follow in her footsteps.

Ms Talakubu is a licensed electrician specialising in solar and renewable energy. For over a decade, she has been installing solar systems in remote villages across Fiji, working with Its Time Foundation to bring clean energy to schools, homes and businesses.

"I grew up watching most of the girls in my class become teachers or nurses, but I wanted to do something different. I wanted to prove that women belong in this field too," Ms Talakubu says.

Her work has been life-changing for communities like Rabi, where she helped to install the very system now powering Buakonikai Primary School.

"The best part of my job is seeing the reaction when we turn on the lights for the first time. The kids even call me ‘Solar’ because I bring power to their homes and schools," she shares.

But for Ms Talakubu, the mission goes beyond installations. She wants to inspire other women to take up careers in science and engineering.

"I wear my high-vis vest with pride because I want young girls to see that they can do this too. When they see me working, they realise that this isn’t just a job for men. They can be electricians, engineers, or anything they set their minds to."

The AIFFP, through PCIFP, has committed AUD 75 million to renewable energy projects across the Pacific, ensuring that schools, businesses and households have sustainable, long-term access to power. These projects don’t just provide electricity, they create opportunities, particularly for women and girls.

By supporting renewable energy, the Australian Government is helping to ensure that young girls in remote communities have the tools they need to succeed. Education is no longer limited by daylight hours, and teachers can now use digital resources to bring lessons to life.

For the teachers of Buakonikai, this is more than just a solar installation – it is the key to a better future for their students.

"Rabi has always felt isolated, but now our students can see beyond our shores. They are no longer just hearing about the world, they are experiencing it,” Mrs Tubekoro says.

"You haven’t just given us power, you’ve given our students the chance to dream bigger, to learn more, and to create a brighter future."

And for Ms Talakubu, every installation is a step toward breaking gender barriers in science and technology.

"I want to show young girls that they can work in these industries too. Whether it’s installing solar panels or teaching others, there’s a place for women in this field. The more of us who step up, the stronger our communities become."

Stories like Buakonikai Primary School and the women bringing power to the Pacific are reminders of the value of investing in women. With every solar panel installed and every classroom powered, women are lighting the way for future generations.

The Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships are part of the Australian Government’s PCIFP initiative to expand the AIFFP’s climate infrastructure investments. It does this by partnering with businesses to deliver reliable and sustainable renewable energy to remote and rural communities in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, implemented by the Business Partnerships Platform.