Families in Solomon Islands’ Guadalcanal Province can now access a more resilient healthcare system powered by 24/7 solar energy, thanks to a partnership between Superfly Limited, the Good Samaritan Hospital and the Australian Government.
The new solar-battery hybrid system installed in the Good Samaritan Hospital, which provides essential healthcare services for over 60,000 people, including women who depend on it for maternity care and child health services, is the first Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnership to go live.
Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Mr Rod Hilton, officially launched the new solar system today. He said: “Australia is very proud to celebrate the completion of the first Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnership, not just in Solomon Islands but across the Pacific – a project delivered on budget and in record speed.
“As a long-standing partner to Solomon Islands in health, energy and business, today’s handover is testament to the incredible outcomes that we can achieve by working together.”
Good Samaritan Hospital’s Administrator, Sister Daliborka Rojo, added: “The new system will save the hospital around SDB180,000 per year, money that we will reinvest into providing better services for local mums, babies and their families. It also means that we can provide emergency services after dark and support women delivering babies during the night."
Superfly Director, Gavin Pereira, highlighted that the new solar hybrid system will provide reliable and secure energy service to the hospital. It is also projected to save 510 tonnes of CO2 emissions over the next 10 years.
The Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships are part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP) initiative to expand AIFFP’s climate infrastructure investments. It does this by partnering with businesses to deliver reliable and sustainable renewable energy to remote and rural communities in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, implemented by the Business Partnerships Platform.
The unveiling of the Good Samaritan Hospital Solar Hybrid Power System.
The hybrid solar-battery-diesel system has produced reliable and free power for the hospital since being switched on.
The innovative hybrid solar-battery-diesel system is a solution for reliable, cheap power for remote infrastructure.
Superfly Director Gavin Pereira said the new system had delivered 100% solar energy to the hospital - but had backup diesel generator if the batteries needed recharging.