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.

Samoan families living in remote island communities will soon have access to clean, reliable electricity for the first time.

Announced today, the project marks a major milestone for Samoa as the country’s first project through Australia’s REnew Pacific program and the first-ever investment by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) in Samoa. 

Led by the Electric Power Corporation (EPC), in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD), and supported by the Australian Government, the project will install solar and battery systems for 108 households and five community fales across Upolu and Savai‘i. It will also upgrade a mini-grid power network on Apolima Island to provide 24/7 renewable electricity to 11 households.

While Samoa has achieved high electricity access overall, some rural and island communities remain beyond the national grid, relying on wood fires and kerosene lamps for light and cooking. Replacing these with clean solar power will improve health and safety, support study and small businesses, and help communities better withstand climate impacts while contributing to Samoa’s goal of 70 percent renewable energy by 2031.

“This first-ever AIFFP-funded project for Samoa marks a milestone not only for EPC but for our nation’s journey toward universal access to clean energy. Through REnew Pacific, EPC will deliver reliable solar and battery systems to families who have waited the longest for safe power. This investment is a tangible expression of Australia’s friendship and shared commitment to Samoa’s sustainable and resilient future,” said Fesola’i Tau‘ili‘ili Faumui Iese Toimoana, General Manager of EPC.

This locally led project is the latest milestone for REnew Pacific, the Australian Government’s $75 million investment delivering off-grid renewable energy to rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including Samoa.

“Australia is proud to be working alongside Samoa to deliver clean, renewable energy to families and communities across the islands. This first REnew Pacific project in Samoa shows what true partnership looks like: local leadership driving lasting change,” said Will Robinson, Australia’s High Commissioner to Samoa.

REnew Pacific is a five-year program launched in November 2024, operating across eight countries in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including through earlier pilot projects. It delivers locally led clean energy projects that improve lives and strengthen resilience in remote communities, responding directly to the Pacific’s call for urgent climate action and demonstrating Australia’s climate leadership in the region. 

REnew Pacific sits within the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership, a AUD 350 million initiative delivered through AIFFP and implemented by Palladium.

Find out more about the project.

Clean, reliable solar energy is now powering Sir Dudley Tuti College in Isabel Province, strengthening education, campus safety and essential services for one of Solomon Islands’ largest and most remote secondary schools.

The installation marks a major milestone for REnew Pacific’s first Solomon Islands project, led by local renewable energy provider Superfly.

Serving 820 students, including around 600 boarders, as well as staff and community houses, the College previously relied on costly and unreliable diesel generation. The new solar system will now provide dependable power day and night while significantly cutting fuel use and costs. 

The system was officially launched by the Honourable Trevor Hedley Mahaga, Member of Parliament for Gao/Bugotu together with the Australian High Commission leaders and the school community led by Principal Dudley Uata. 

Australia’s High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Jeff Roach, said Australia was proud to partner with Solomon Islands in delivering clean, affordable energy solutions that were locally led and sustainable.

“The solar hybrid system installation at Sir Dudley Tuti College demonstrates Australia’s commitment to supporting expanded access to renewable sources of energy in remote and rural areas,” said High Commissioner Roach.

Speaking at the launch event, Honourable Trevor Hedley Mahaga said the investment in Sir Dudley Tuti College was an investment in the future of Isabel Province.

“Reliable solar power will enable brighter classrooms, safer dormitories and dependable services across the campus, giving students and teachers more opportunities to learn, teach and live well after dark,” said Honourable Mahaga.

Sir Dudley Tuti College is one of three sites benefitting from the REnew Pacific project, which will support more than 81,000 people across Isabel, Western and Malaita provinces. In Eastern Malaita, Atoifi Adventist Hospital is receiving a hybrid solar system to power emergency care, maternity services and its nursing school, while Goldie College in Western Province is also installing a new solar hybrid system to support students, staff and surrounding communities.

Gavin Pereira, Director of Superfly, said: “We are proud to deliver this project alongside the Sir Dudley Tuti College community and our partners.”

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.

Australia is deepening its long‑term commitment to high‑quality, critical infrastructure across the Pacific and Timor‑Leste, with the announcement of an additional $550 million in official development assistance (ODA) grants for the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).  

Announced by Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong during a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum Troika on 27 January 2026, the additional funding strengthens the AIFFP’s capacity to back Pacific‑led priorities and support high-quality, climate-resilient infrastructure that delivers lasting benefits for communities and economies across the region.  

The new funding brings the AIFFP’s total facility financing to $4.55 billion, comprising a $3 billion loan cap and $1.55 billion in ODA grants.

The additional $550 million has not been pre-allocated and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, in close consultation with our Pacific partners. 

Guided by Pacific priorities, the AIFFP focuses on transformational infrastructure. Since its establishment in 2019, it has committed approximately $1.1 billion in loans and $850 million in grants, supporting 58 projects across 11 countries in critical sectors such as clean energy, telecommunications and digital connectivity, ports and airports. 

Backing Pacific-led climate solutions remains central to the AIFFP’s work, alongside continued support for digital infrastructure and strengthened digital capabilities to deliver the best outcomes for the region. 

The additional investment is provided as ODA grant funding, enabling the AIFFP to support major economic infrastructure while helping partners manage debt sustainability.

By combining grants with loans, where appropriate, the AIFFP offers tailored financing solutions that support long‑term economic growth, deliver value for money and ensure infrastructure investments remain responsible and sustainable.

Consistent with the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles, the AIFFP partners for local benefit — creating jobs, supporting local businesses, building skills and ensuring strong environmental and social safeguards across all projects.

Through sustained investment in high‑quality infrastructure, Australia is working with Pacific partners to build a more connected and economically vibrant region, now and into the future.

Header image: In attendance the Hon Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manele, Tongan Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua, Palauan President Whipps and the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Baron Waqa. 

Australia is supporting clean, reliable energy access for remote communities in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, with the country’s first REnew Pacific project set to deliver solar power to 19 primary schools across Arno, Ebon and Mili Atolls.

The project was announced by Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy during a February 2026 visit to Australia by the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Her Excellency Dr Hilda Heine. It marks a major milestone as Australia’s first REnew Pacific project in the Marshall Islands and the first investment by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) in the country. 

Delivered in partnership with UNICEF Australia alongside UNICEF Pacific, the Ministry of Education, Sports and Training, including the Public School System, and the Environmental Protection Authority, the project will provide clean, affordable, renewable energy to every primary school across these outer island atolls, where schools currently have no access to electricity.

Cyclone-resilient solar systems with battery storage will power classrooms, lighting, digital learning tools, and water and sanitation facilities. This will improve learning conditions, support inclusive and technology-enabled education and strengthen schools’ ability to function as safe community spaces during emergencies.

The project will directly benefit more than 700 children and 90 teachers, with a further 1,300 community members supported when schools are used as emergency shelters.

Dr Natalie Nimmer, Commissioner of Education for the Republic of the Marshall Islands, said: “We are deeply grateful to the Australian Government and to UNICEF for their continued partnership and investment in the future of children. This collaboration demonstrates a shared commitment to strengthening education systems while advancing sustainable and resilient solutions for our neighbour islands.”

Hamish Young, UNICEF Pacific’s Representative, said: "This is an important milestone in children’s education and the right investment in their futures. By harnessing clean energy, schools will be transformed into climate-ready learning spaces ensuring that no child is left behind – no matter where they are. We thank the Australian Government for their support in making this a reality for every child."

This locally led project is the latest milestone for REnew Pacific, the Australian Government’s $75 million investment delivering off-grid renewable energy to rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including the Marshall Islands.

REnew Pacific now operates across seven countries in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including through its earlier pilots, helping remote communities access clean, reliable power for homes, schools, clinics and small enterprises. The program sits within 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.

Find out more about the project.

Australia joined the Government of Tuvalu and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to celebrate the completion of the Nui and Niutao Islands Boat Harbour Development project – a major upgrade to Tuvalu’s maritime infrastructure.

Through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), Australia contributed AUD 21.4 million (USD 15 million) to support the design and construction of two new boat harbours, improving the availability and reliability of inter-island travel for passengers and cargo

The milestone was marked by the opening of the Niutao Boat Harbour, attended by Prime Minister Hon. Feleti Teo, Australia’s High Commissioner David Charlton, Principal Operations Specialist of ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office, Jonathan Pryke and other dignitaries.

Maritime transport is the lifeline of Tuvalu, connecting nine islands across an exclusive economic zone of nearly 750,000 km2. These new harbours replace hazardous surf landings with safe, protected gateways, ensuring families have reliable  access to fresh food, essential supplies, and vital services.

On Niutao Island, the project involved dredging a sea-access channel and basin, and constructing a new wharf and passenger terminal.

On Nui Island, upgrades included a modern boat ramp, cargo shed and passenger terminal, improvements that make inter-island travel safer and more dependable.

Both harbours feature climate-smart design to withstand rising seas and extreme weather, keeping communities  connected, even as climate challenges intensify. They also include improvements such as lighting, guard rails, and ramps, making travel safer and more accessible for women, children, older passengers, and people with disability.

This project underscores Australia’s enduring commitment under the Falepili Union, working in partnership with Tuvalu, and the broader Pacific family, to build secure, sustainable, and resilient futures.