The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, has committed $1.86 million (USD 1.2 million) to support the development of a solar-powered microgrid in Papua New Guinea’s Central province. Contact online >>
The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, has committed $1.86 million (USD 1.2 million) to support the development of a solar-powered microgrid in Papua New Guinea’s Central province.
The Pimaga Rural Hospital microgrid includes a 90 kW rooftop PV system.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will partner with Singapore-based clean energy company WEnergy Global to install a renewable energy microgrid that it hopes will serve as a model for rural electrification in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
While no specifics about the size of the Central province microgrid have been provided, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, who announced the funding during a visit to PNG at the weekend, said the off-grid system will connect at least 800 households and 30 businesses to electricity, thereby improving clean energy access for at least 4,800 people in the region.
The launch of the Central province project comes after USAID earlier this year helped fund a microgrid featuring a 90 kW rooftop solar system at the Pimaga Rural Hospital in the Southern Highlands province.
Both microgrids are part of the USAID''s PNG Electrification Partnership, a five-year project launched in 2018 to spark investments from the private sector in off-grid areas and support the PNG government''s goal of connecting 70% of the population to electricity by 2030 and 100% electrification by 2050.
PNG has one of the Asia Pacific region’s lowest electrification rates, with only an estimated 13% of the population connected to the national power grid in 2020.
Challenging terrain, poor infrastructure, and a largely rural and remote population has made it difficult to pursue large-scale electrification via a national grid. But with the costs of renewable energy technologies decreasing in recent years, USAID said off-grid electrification presents a viable alternative to providing baseline electricity services.
"We know that expanding access to clean electricity is a key priority in PNG," Power said, adding that the new microgrid is expected to "demonstrate the commercial viability of such projects and serve as a proof point for additional private sector investments."
More articles from David Carroll
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.
pv magazine Australia offers bi-weekly updates of the latest photovoltaics news.
We also offer comprehensive global coverage of the most important solar markets worldwide. Select one or more editions for targeted, up to date information delivered straight to your inbox.
Country: Papua New Guinea
Technology: Solar hydrogen microgrid
This project brings together BPP-TECH and FutureValue to develop a high-level design of a mini-grid solar-hydrogen system with clean water and oxygen production for a hospital facility in the Kikori District of PNG, servicing a remote population of 15,000 people. BPP-TECH will provide the technical expertise for the mini-grid solution, with FutureValue and hospital administrators of Kikori District providing key input data, considering limitations of existing infrastructure and enabling benefits of the system to be evaluated within the local context.
The Green H2 system will be modular, with a Plug & Play set-up, minimising complexity of operations and avoiding the need for external expertise to manage the system in the long-term. The produced hydrogen will be used as a clean energy storage solution to ensure a continuous power supply to the hospital facilities when electricity production from solar energy is not possible.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it will provide $1.2 million to establish a solar minigrid system in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Samantha Power, USAID administrator, made the announcement during a recent trip to the region during which she also opened a USAID Country Representative Office.
The minigrid will supply reliable power to at least 4,800 people across 800 households and 30 businesses.
Papua New Guinea, which lies about 100 miles north of Australia in the Pacific Ocean, is home to nearly 1,000 distinct cultural groups. It is also one of the most biodiverse places on the planet with some 20,000 types of plants, 800 kinds of coral, 600 species of fish and 750 different bird varieties (including two whose feathers were recently discovered to contain a deadly neurotoxin).
Situated within the Ring of Fire, the country has 14 active and 20 dormant volcanoes, the world''s third largest rainforest, and the main island has a mountain range with peaks reaching as high as 13,000 feet.
To say the least, PNG''s diversity and topography make infrastructure projects both challenging and expensive.
As a result, it''s estimated that just 13% of the country''s 10 million residents, most of whom live in rural areas, have access to the power grid and dependable electricity.
The USAID minigrid investment is part of the United States'' commitment to the Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership (PEP) between the PNG, U.S., Australian, New Zealand and Japanese governments. PEP aims to connect 70% of the country''s population to electricity by 2030. For its part, USAID has a goal of connecting 350,000 PNG households to power by 2025.
The $1.2 million comes from USAID''s Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund, a $50 million global fund designed to launch new partnerships that leverage private sector funds and expertise to tackle significant challenges such as climate change. USAID will provide an additional $5.2 million in humanitarian assistance to support disaster risk management and response programs and combat malnutrition.
For the PNG project, USAID is partnering with WEnergy Global, a Singapore-based clean energy company that is also working on microgrid projects in the Philippines and Indonesia. The USAID EDGE funds will be used to jump-start electrification efforts in off-grid areas.
USAID was part of a group shortlisted for a Microgrid Knowledge Greater Good Award this year for its work in Guatemala. The organization, which is the U.S. government''s international humanitarian and development agency, is also active in Africa, where minigrids are widely used to power remote regions.
Stay up to date with the latest microgrid projects. Subscribe to the free Microgrid Knowledge Newsletter.
About Microgrid control papua new guinea
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Microgrid control papua new guinea have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Microgrid control papua new guinea for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Microgrid control papua new guinea featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
