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/    

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.