Remote Papua New Guinea school powers up better learning outcomes with new solar mini-grid

Over 200 students from Papua New Guinea’s remote Kokoda College can now benefit from reliable, renewable energy with the launch of their new solar mini-grid this week.

The mini-grid will power classrooms, an IT lab inclusive of disability assistive technologies and vital infrastructure, such as solar water pump, an incinerator to support responsible waste management and a solar-powered irrigation system for a campus garden to enable climate-smart agriculture.

It’s made possible through a partnership between KTF (Kokoda Track Foundation) and the Australian Government, launched last year through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships.  

Australian High Commission Minister Counsellor, Dr Cate Rogers said: “Australia supports small scale, off-grid renewable energy infrastructure to boost development in remote and rural communities by providing reliable and clean energy and enhancing long-term climate resilience.”

Dr Genevieve Nelson, KTF’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The solar mini-grid is a game-changer for Kokoda College. It will provide much-needed energy to classrooms, enabling better learning outcomes and building pathways into higher education and employment, particularly in education and health.”

Stainless Bill, Kokoda College’s Principal, said: "With the launch of our solar mini-grid, it will provide much needed energy at Kokoda College campus. This life changing initiative will not only eradicate energy shortages but also empower our students to shine brighter in their educational journey by enabling effective teaching and learning."

The new solar grid unlocks a range of benefits for Kokoda College’s diverse student body. Through KTF’s Flexible Open Distance Education program, students pursuing a second chance at secondary education can improve their grades with greater flexibility as the grid provides better access to technology on campus and enables them to charge their digital tablets to continue their studies at home. This flexibility is particularly valuable for women, who represent more than half the student population.

This project is part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP) initiative to expand the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific’s (AIFFP) climate 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 (BPP).

The Australian Government has recently launched the first grant round for REnew Pacific, a new $75 million long-term off-grid renewable energy program to support communities like this one across the region, to mitigate, adapt and build resilience against climate change.

Find out more here: https://renewpacific.com.au/