Around 2,000 people living in three of Kiribati’s most remote outer island communities will soon have access to clean, reliable and affordable electricity through the country’s first two REnew Pacific projects, launched today.
The projects will deliver solar-diesel mini-grids and battery storage to Arorae, Abaiang (Riboono islet) and Onotoa (Tabuarorae islet), powering homes, schools, health centres and businesses while cutting reliance on imported diesel and building climate resilience.
The Kiribati Minister for Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy, the Hon Tekeeua Tarati, together with Australia’s High Commissioner to Kiribati, H.E. Mark Foxe, officially launched the projects at the MISE Engineering Day in Bairiki Square, Tarawa.
EcoCare Group, a local not-for-profit, is partnering with CBS Power Solutions and the Arorae Island Council to bring 24/7 electricity to more than 1,000 people on Arorae, Kiribati’s southernmost island. A whole-of-island system will connect schools, clinics, community halls and up to 100 households. Find out more.
The second project will reach around 800 people on Riboono and Tabuarorae, connecting more than 200 households along with schools, health centres and small enterprises. New solar-diesel hybrid mini-grids with battery storage will be built, operated and maintained by Kiribati Green Energy Solutions (KGES) as a local energy provider. It is led by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), with KGES, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy (MISE), the Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs and the local communities. Find out more.
REnew Pacific is the Australian Government’s AUD75 million investment in off-grid renewable energy for rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. Launched in November 2024, the five-year program is delivered as part of the AUD350 million Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP) through AIFFP.
