By Kuini Rabo Off-grid electrification for development of small islands represents a number of unique challenges under the broad category of rural electrification. Small, off-grid island communities are particularly vulnerable to diesel price fluctuations and natural disasters, and thus, enhancing resilience through more sustainable and cheaper energy technologies should be a key priority. Financing the transition to these technologies – usually photovoltaic, micro-hydro or sometimes wind – is an essential hurdle to overcome. Once electricity systems are in place it is equally important that they are sustained in the longer term with effective arrangements for operation and maintenance, cost recovery etc. Related to this, is the productive use of the energy provided to increase islander incomes. The workshop on Bunaken Island, Sulawesi, Indonesia from 3 to 5 November 2015, organised by the Smart Villages Initiative in collaboration with Kopernik, will explore these issues and develop recommendations for policy makers, development agencies and other stakeholders in energy provision to island communities. More info: http://e4sv.org/events/off-grid-islands-electricity-workshop/

1. Melanesia Million Miracle
Programme (M3P)
Kuini Rabo
Economic Development Division
Secretariat of the Pacific Community

2. Background
SPC – Secretariat of the Pacific Community
• Inter-governmental Organisation that works in public health, geoscience,
agriculture, forestry, water resources, disaster management, fisheries,
education, statistics, transport, energy, human rights, gender, youth and
culture to help Pacific Island people achieve sustainable development.
• With its members are the 22 Pacific Island countries and territories that are
the beneficiaries of its services, along with four of the original founding
countries.
• Headquarters- Noumea, New Caledonia, Regional offices – Suva, Fiji
Islands, Pohnpei, FSM and Country office- SI
• Economic Development Division (EDD) through its Energy programme
(hereafter “SPC’s EDD”), with its office located at Suva, Fiji and is
mandated by the Pacific Energy Ministers as the host of regional energy
programme

3. THE CHALLENGES WE FACE IN THE REGION
• Unique characteristics of the region
o Pacific ocean covers approx. 36% of the earths surface, and
22 Pacific island countries and territories (PICTs) are
dispersed across a large part of it.
o Land area range from 5 sq. Km (Pitcairn Is) to 462,840 sq.
km (PNG)
o Populations range from approx 70 (Pitcairn Is) and 1,165
(Tokelau) to approx 6.8 million (PNG)
o Accounts for more than 50% of the world’s languages
o Tyranny of distance
o Extremely high unit cost of service
o Only 1.8% of the total Pacific islands region is land – 98.2 %
is ocean.

4. EXTREME CLIMATE
CONDITION
Hurricanes
Flooding
tsunamis
Draught
Sea level rise

5. Source: SPC Energy Indicator, 2009
97%
72%
46% 44%
100% 99% 99%
12%
72%
98%
14%
89%
94%
28%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Electrification Rate - Grid connected
Ave. 23%

6. Electrification of the rural and remote
areas of the Pacific

7. Past Rural Electrification Programme in PNG,
Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
(Teacher’s Solar Lighting Project
(TSLP)
Lighting Vanuatu Project Pacific Micro Energy
Services Companies Project
(REEEP –Solomon Islands)
i. Social cultural issues including
theft and vandalism;
ii. Transport are difficult;
iii. Perceptions of poor
technological quality due to
lack of back up maintenance
services;
iv. Weaknesses in staff capacity at
institutions responsible for
project implementation;
v. Poor project design attributed
to lack of consultations with
national; and agencies.
i. Market- the sustainable
and consistent supply
chains have not been
established. This gives a
risk that the current
demand could leave the
market flooded with poor
quality solar lanterns;
ii. High priority to be given to
the very underprivileged to
access solar lanterns;
iii. Inconsistent record
keeping; and
iv. Waste management
i. Progress was slow, the
fee was considered too
high by the
communities; and
ii. No backup services for
maintenance or spare
parts for the LED lights
Solar lanterns provided by
the MP, inconsistent, not of
good quality, no back up
services.
Source: Evaluation Report “Unsold Solar: A post mortem of PNG’s Teachers Solar Lighting Project
Independent Completion Report Lighting Vanuatu

8. M3P Framework
• M3P – PNG, SI & Vanuatu
• Small Energy Projects Programme
Projects in the Pipeline
• Taroniara Clinic Solar Project
• Biche Village Hydro Project
• Hulavu Solar project
• Faseu Micro Hydro Project

9. M3P Approach
• Electricity brings miracles to people’s lives
• To light up 1M people is a miracle
• Simple, portable and low costs equipment as entry
point to the world of electricity
• Technology that suits people’s physical and socio-
economic environment
• Partnership with Government, an NGO, Community
and Women’s group on the ground
• Establish local back up support as business
• Reduce use of fossil fuel- mitigate to climate change

10. Melanesia’s Million Programme (M3P)
Overall objective: Improve the welfare of 1 million households in the
rural areas of PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu through rural
electrification programme that is conducive to the social and economic
environment of the target communities.
Specific Objective: To increase access to modern, affordable, reliable
and sustainable energy services in the rural communities.
Concrete Outputs:
• Empowered local NGOs and communities, particularly women to
engage on income generating activities, Solar technicians
• Facilitate deployment of new technology in rural communities
• Create demand, markets and business environment for solar energy
services; and
• Reduce carbon intensity, reliance and spending kerosene use

11. Melanesia’s Million Programme (M3P)
Project Partners:
• SPC
• Department of Energy
• Selected NGO (ACTIV-Vanuatu, Kokoda Track Foundation-PNG
and Choiseul Provincial Council of Women Solomon Islands)
• Women’s Group
• Target communities
• Development partners (Current: AusAID) (future funding)

12. Melanesia’s Million Programme (M3P)
Project update
• 2013 – proposal presented PEAG meeting- supported by the
Countries ( PNG, Vanuatu and SI) Government;
• 2014-Validation process, selection of project sites ( April –May
2014). Socio-Economic and environmental analysis of the
project sites were conducted. Consultation with all project
partners specifically the communities, women’s group.
Selection of appropriate technology and procurement of
technology.
• 2015- 2nd follow up consultation with project partners
(Community & Women’s group), Installation 12 Volt DC off grid
solar PV charging system , business (simple book-keeping) and
technical trainings. Nov 2015-2016- Follow up Monitoring &
evaluation process.

13. Solar Pico Lanterns
Sunlabob is a Lao commercial company, licensed since
2001, which offers renewable energy products and
provides commercially viable energy services for remote
areas with a focus where the national electricity grid will
not reach for many years
Vanuatu – 2 charging stations – 120Wp 12v
PNG – 2 charging stations – 120Wp 12v
Solomon Islands – 8 charging stations -60Wp 12v
SPC approach – Solar pico lanterns and charging system.
Warranty period for the solar pico lanterns -2 years and
charging system is 1 year. Cost of 1 solar pico lantern- USD
53 (exclude the delivery cost).
Lanterns have 3 settings: low setting light intensity is 20
lumens, medium- 50 lumens and high 120 lumens.
Time light will be available without the need to re-charge
at each setting varies: 55 hours- low; 16.5 hours for
medium and 5.5 hours for high setting.
Estimate- in a week household will re-charge their lamp
twice.

14. Melanesia’s Million Programme (M3P)
Project update
Current funding 1st year
2015 – 3,600 people have
access to modern lighting (
solar pico lanterns) 600
households in the rural of
Melanesia.
Establishment of 12
charging stations serve as
solar shops ( 2 in PNG, 2
in Vanuatu and 8 in
Solomon Islands)

15. Melanesia’s Million Programme (M3P)
Project update

16. Melanesia’s Million Programme (M3P)
Project update

17. Melanesia’s Million Programme (M3P)
Project update

18. Melanesia’s Million Programme (M3P)
Project update

19. Melanesia’s Million Programme (M3P)
Project update

20. Thank You
Vinaka