The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved financing to support the conversion of electricity networks in five provinces of the Solomon Islands almost entirely to solar power; with the assistance of battery storage.
The Solar Power Development Project will see grid-connected solar farms constructed in Kirakira, Lata, Malu’u, Munda, and Tulagi.
The USD $15.2 million development will be funded by a $2.24 million grant from ADB, $6.2 million grant from the Strategic Climate Fund and $6.76 million from the Solomon Islands’ government.
In addition to approximately 2 megawatt of solar power generation capacity, the project will mark the first time battery storage has been implemented in a large solar facility in the region.
The modular nature of the projects and oversized sites will enable future expansion to service growing electricity demand.
“Reliance on diesel generation has resulted in a high cost of electricity in the Solomon Islands, which is constraining economic growth, particularly in the commercial and tourism sectors,” said Anthony Maxwell, Principal Energy Specialist at ADB’s Pacific Department.
“This project will help Solomon Islands reduce the cost of generating power, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions which lead to global warming.”
Global warming poses a major threat to the region, with much of the nation’s population living in low-lying areas. The rate of sea-level rise in the Solomon archipelago over the past twenty years is amongst the highest globally and five vegetated reef islands have already entirely vanished.
Solar energy technology is already having a significant positive impact in the region. Earlier this year, a 1 megawatt solar facility on the outskirts of Honiara began operation and will save the country close to a million dollars on diesel costs each year.
Prior to that solar project, there were two small hydropower plants in provincial centres totalling 182 kW of capacity, but the remainder of Solomon Islands Electricity Authority’s generation was diesel.
The Solomon Islands are located around 1,800 kilometres north-east of Townsville and cover approximately 28,000 square kilometers of Melanesia. The archipelago has a population of around 528,000.
Since Solomon Islands joined ADB in 1973, the country has received more than USD $275 million in loans, grants, and technical assistance.
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