Pacific Lighthouse Roadmapping

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International Renewable Energy Agency

IRENA

Pacifc Lighthouses

Renewable Energy Roadmapping for IslandsRep

ort


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DisclaimerThe designations employed and the presentation o materials herein do not imply the expression o any opinionwhatsoever on the part o the International Renewable Energy Agency concerning the legal status o any country,territory, city or area, or concerning their authorities or the delimitation o their rontiers or boundaries.

Copyright IRENA 2013

Unless otherwise indicated, material in this publication may be used reely, shared or reprinted, so long as IRENA is

acknowledged as the source.

About IRENA

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their

transition to a sustainable energy uture, and serves as the principal platorm or international cooperation, a centre o excel-

lence, and a repository o policy, technology, resource and fnancial knowledge on renewable energy. IRENA promotes the

widespread adoption and sustainable use o all orms o renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower,

ocean, solar and wind energy in the pursuit o sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon eco-

nomic growth and prosperity.

www.irena.org

AcknowledgementsThe collection o data or the preparation o this report was led by Herb Wade (Consultant). The report beneftted rom very

valuable comments rom Solomone Fifta (Secretariat o the Pacifc Community), Thomas Jenson (Energy Adviser, UNDP),

Peter Johnston (Consultant), Atul Raturi (Head o Engineering, University o the South Pacifc), John Rounds (Deputy Direc-

tor, Secretariat o the Pacifc Community), Silia Kilepoa Ualesi (PIGGAREP Project Manager, Secretariat o the Pacifc RegionalEnvironment Programme) and John van Brink (CEO, Tonga Power Ltd). Their constructive eedback enriched the report and

is grateully acknowledged.

Authors: Linus Moor (IRENA), Mirei Isaka (IRENA), Herb Wade (Consultant) and Apisake Soakai (Consultant)

For urther inormation or to provide eedback, please contact: Linus Moor, IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre.

E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected].
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August 2013

Pacifc LighthousesRenewable Energy Roadmapping for Islands


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Pacif ic l ighthouses Renewable Energy Roadmapping for Is landsI I

Pacic islands are endowed with a rich variety o renew-

able energy resources, providing a viable and attractive

alternative to ossil uel imports. Globally, as deploy-

ment rises and manuacturing costs all, the economic

equation increasingly avours renewable energy tech-

nologies. This is particularly true or the Pacic region,

which has already taken signicant steps to alleviate its

dependence on ossil uels, which entail a volatile global

market as well as high costs or local distribution.

In January 2012, the International Renewable EnergyAgency (IRENA) hosted a Pacic Leaders Forum in Abu

Dhabi. In the resulting Abu Dhabi Communiqu, leaders

rom 11 Pacic Island Countries and Territories called

on IRENA to work jointly on establishing an enabling

environment or renewable energy deployment in the

region. They asked or this work to be integrated into

a roadmap or accelerated renewable energy uptake in

the Pacic.

Since that time, IRENA has worked closely with a wide

range o stakeholders in the Pacic, including gov-

ernments, utilities, the Pacic Power Association, the

Secretariat o the Pacic Community, North-REP, theSustainable Energy Industry Association o the Pacic

Islands and others, to identiy gaps and produce innova-

tive, practical and island-specic solutions.

IRENAs multi-aceted work in the region is reected

in Pacic Lighthouses: Renewable Energy Roadmap-

ping or Islands. The main report, intended to provide a

ramework or urther action, is supported by 15 reports

on specic islands and a document detailing hybrid

power systems or the Pacic. Together, these reports

identiy key concepts, challenges and best practices

or the accelerated uptake o renewable energy in the

region. The aim is to provide island governments and,

indeed, all stakeholders, with baseline inormation to

assist in the development o local renewable energydeployment roadmaps, as well as strengthening the

implementation o regional initiatives.

I trust this publication will prove useul to countries and

territories with action plans in place, to those still ormu-

lating national roadmaps, and to the various develop-

ment partners working to promote clean energy solu-

tions and sustainability in the region. As our world works

towards a uture based on clean, secure and aordable

energy services or all, the Pacic Island Countries and

Territories have the opportunity to become beacons

o condence that can help chart the course or other

island regions and beyond.

Adnan Z. Amin

Director-General, IRENA

Foreword


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Pacif ic l ighthouses Renewable Energy Roadmapping for Is lands I I I

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword II

Acronyms V

Summary VI

1 Introduction and context 1

2 The rationale or renewables in the Pacifc Islands region 3

2.1 Fossil-uel dependence ..........................................................................................................................................3

2.2 The impact o climate conditions .......................................................................................................................3

2.3 Renewable energy can be a cost competitive alternative ..........................................................................3

2.4 Barriers to renewable energy uptake in the Pacic Islands ......................................................................4

2.5 The need or a regional and national ramework or renewable energy uptake ....................................5

3 Energy landscape in the Pacifc Islands region 7

3.1 General characteristics o Pacic islands ..........................................................................................................7

3.2 Energy use in the Pacic region .........................................................................................................................7

3.3 Use o renewable energy .................................................................................................................................... 18

3.4 Energy policy rameworks ................................................................................................................................. 18

4 Renewable energy resource potential in the Pacifc Islands region 20

4.1 Abundant technical and economic renewable energy resource potentials ........................................20

4.2 Renewable energy costs and maintenance requirements .......................................................................23

5 Comprehensive power systems planning approach 28

5.1 Renewable energy resource data collection ................................................................................................. 28

5.2 Renewable energy integration ......................................................................................................................... 28

5.3 Grid modelling and verication .......................................................................................................................29

5.4 Energy efciency .................................................................................................................................................29

5.5 Selecting partners with relevant experience ...............................................................................................29

5.6 Robust implementation guidelines and measurable goals .....................................................................30

6 Renewable energy or the transportation sector in the Pacifc Islands 31

6.1 Overview...................................................................................................................................................................31

6.2 Enhancing opportunities or renewables or transportation in the Pacic Islands .......................... 32

7 Challenges in implementing renewable energy systems in the Pacifc Islands 34

7.1 Solar, wind and wave energy ............................................................................................................................. 34

7.2All renewable energy technologies .................................................................................................................35


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Pacif ic l ighthouses Renewable Energy Roadmapping for Is landsIV

8 IRENAs activities in the Pacifc Islands 36

8.1 Country studies .....................................................................................................................................................36

8.2 Assessment o grid stability ............................................................................................................................. 37

8.3 Hybrid power systems ........................................................................................................................................ 37

8.4 Electricity storage and renewables or island power ................................................................................38

8.5 Ocean energy ........................................................................................................................................................38

8.6 REMAP 2030: Assisting energy planning in islands roadmaps in the Pacic ...................................38

8.7 Renewables Readiness Assessment ............................................................................................................... 38

8.8 Establishment o the Global Renewable Energy Islands Network (GREIN) .......................................39

8.9 Capacity-building initiative ...............................................................................................................................39

8.10 IRENA Global Atlas ............................................................................................................................................39

8.11 IRENA Renewable Energy Country Proles or the Pacic ..................................................................... 39

8.12 Policy challenges or renewable energy deployment in the Pacic Islands .....................................39

8.13 Harmonisation o RE standards......................................................................................................................40

8.14 Assessment o RE technologies suitable or the Pacic .........................................................................40

8.15 Assessment o the use o more renewable energy in the transportation sector ............................40

8.16 IRENA Abu Dhabi Fund or Development project acility ......................................................................40

9 Conclusion:

Key priority actions or enhanced renewable energy deployment

in the Pacifc Islands and possible IRENA roles 41

Reerences 44


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Pacif ic l ighthouses Renewable Energy Roadmapping for Is lands V

Acronyms

CROP Council o Regional Organisations in the Pacic

FAESP Framework or Action on Energy in the Pacic

GHG Greenhouse Gas

GIZ German Agency or International Cooperation(Gesellschat r Internationale Zusammenarbeit)

IPESP Implementation Plan or Energy Security in the Pacic

IPP Independent Power Producer

GREIN Global Renewable Energy Islands Network

PICTs Pacic Island Countries and Territories

PPA Pacic Power Association

RE Renewable Energy

REMAP Global Renewable Energy Roadmap to 2030

RRA Renewables Readiness Assessment

SE4ALL The United Nations Sustainable Energy or All Initiative

SHS Solar Home System

SIDS Small Island Developing States

SPC Secretariat o the Pacic Community

PIGGAREP Pacic Island Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project


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Pacif ic l ighthouses Renewable Energy Roadmapping for Is landsVI

Summary

The Abu Dhabi Communiqu, issued by leaders rom

11 Pacic Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) in

January 2012, called or assistance to the region with

assessing renewable energy readiness, ascertaining op-

portunities, identiying pathways to close gaps and

integrating all activities to promote renewable energy

in the region into a single, coherent roadmap. The Inter-

national Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) responded

by carrying out a wide range o activities o specic

relevance and application to the region in close col-

laboration with existing regional organisations and keystakeholders.

This Pacifc Lighthouses report, along with 15 reports on

specic islands and another on hybrid power systems

or the Pacic that are attached to it, aims to support

various local and regional initiatives on renewable en-

ergy (RE) roadmaps by: (i) identiying the key concepts,

challenges and best practices needed to increase the

uptake o renewables in the region in an integrated

and cost eective way; (ii) providing the countries and,

indeed, all stakeholders, with baseline inormation; and

(iii) highlighting areas o support rom IRENA to nation-

al and regional initiatives aimed at promoting enhanceddeployment o renewables in the region. The report also

highlights best practices and lessons rom the transition

to RE in some PICTs that could benet other islands and

regions.

The key messages arising rom this report are the ol-

lowing:

(i) Although the Pacic Islands region is varied in

terms o its RE resource distribution, solar pho-

tovoltaic (PV), bioenergy and, to a lesser extent,

wind energy are the RE technologies with the

greatest technical and economic potential ornear-term deployment in the region.

(ii) An integrated approach promoting balanced im-

plementation with a strong emphasis on both

RE and energy efciency, and incorporating,

among other measures, detailed resource, land

availability, grid, energy storage and capacity

development assessments is required to arrive

at the optimal solution in terms o easibility, cost,

social acceptance and phasing.

(iii) Due to the variability o solar PV and wind power,

integrating into diesel generator-based power

systems requires the use o a variety o enablingtechnologies.

(iv) The spatial constraints o islands requires that

or successul large-scale deployment o RE, the

energy, water and land-use nexus must be as-

sessed careully with stakeholder involvement in

the planning process.

(v) The current dominance o development assis-

tance nancing or RE projects in the developing

economies o the Pacic Islands region limits the

opportunities to enhance investor condence

through demonstration o the commercial at-

tractiveness o existing projects.(vi) An enabling regulatory environment is needed to

attract private sector investments in renewable

energy deployment in the region.

(vii) Islands need to improve their collaboration or

example on common legal tools, training and

regulations to create economies o scale.

(viii) In the medium and long term, RE-based power

solutions would be the most sustainable and cost-

eective solutions or Pacic Islands communi-

ties. In the transition to that stage, RE and diesel

hybrid systems with high levels o RE integration

and energy efciency measures can play a keyrole in the energy supply or island communities

and are, indeed, a viable option or the PICTs.

(ix) The many partners, one team approach needs

to be put into practice through increased coordi-

nation between development partners, donors,

regional institutions and national authorities and

institutions.

(x) RE-based transport options (such as electric cars

and sustainable biouels) can directly benet

island power-generation systems. As such, RE-

based transport systems should be an important

consideration in the long-term planning o the

PICTs.

In line with the regional vision o the Framework or

Action on Energy Security in the Pacic (FAESP), along

with national targets and policies, the ollowing key ac-

tions are recommended to accelerate the transition to a

renewables-based energy uture or the PICTs:

Strengthen institutional rameworks in the en-

ergy sector: In many cases renewables transition

planning takes place outside the group o energy

ministries and utilities. Such an approach should

be avoided as it reduces the chances o successsignicantly.


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Pacif ic l ighthouses Renewable Energy Roadmapping for Is lands VI I

Strengthen cooperation between the Pacic

Power Association (PPA), Secretariat o the Pa-

cic Community (SPC) and University o the

South Pacic to develop a critical mass or transi-

tion planning or the Pacic Islands.

Strengthen strategic energy planning, combining

RE deployment with energy efciency promotionand implementation.

Strengthen policy and regulatory rameworks as

the essential enabler or enhanced RE deploy-

ment.

Strengthen the collection and management o

energy data. This will assist in the development

o robust energy inormation, notably or the

transport sector.

Assess the cost o RE solutions or island com-

munities and provide inormation on technology

availability and options.

Assess and monitor RE resource potential. RE

potential varies widely across PICTs, thereby

necessitating the need or regional and island-

specic RE strategies.

Assess grid stability or high shares o RE inte-

gration. It will be important to consider careul

design and deployment o hybrid dieselrenew-

able systems with high shares o renewables in

the immediate term. This requires modelling and

assessment o grids or dierent levels o RE pen-

etration, supported by a step-by-step approach

to realise the transition to renewables.

Harmonise technical standards or implementa-

tion o RE technologies: This should acilitateeective system operation with reduced ailure

o components. With most RE projects in the

PICTs arising rom development assistance, a

wide range o RE equipment o dierent makes

is being installed. This complicates operation and

maintenance greatly. An energy development ini-

tiative or Small Island Developing States (SIDS),

such as SIDS-DOCK, could help to overcome such

problems, provided unds are managed through

the unied programme and not cut into many

small projects with dierent decision makers.

Undertake capacity development or RE at vari-ous levels rom vocational education to training

or policy makers.

Coordinate various RE projects and nancing.

This and a database o best practice cases or

sharing o knowledge should acilitate an e-

cient and uniorm strategy or successul RE

deployment in the region.

Develop bankable renewable projects. The qual-

ity o project proposals needs to be improved

across the region. The IRENA Project Navigator

can help towards bankability o project propos-als. The act that virtually all renewable power

projects are unded rom grants or sot loans

endangers sustainability and is detrimental to the

development o the RE sector. For renewables

projects, more than or diesel generators, it is

critical that projects include a sustainable busi-

ness model where investment costs are readily

recuperated. This is particularly so i productive

uses or energy are prioritised in such models.

IRENAs work on islands expanded as o early 2013, with

the aim o accelerating the transition to renewable-based energy systems in other island regions. Mean-

while, the organisation continues its work on Pacic

Islands Countries and Territories in response to requests

rom its members. To this eect, IRENA is extending its

work on grid stability to cover 15 countries and territories

by 2015 and will also ocus on other grid-related tech-

nologies and enablers, including extension o previous

IRENA work on storage options or island power. Ocean

energy technologies provide a potential opportunity o

high impact in the deployment o renewables in island

regions. These technologies are still in the development

and early deployment stages. IRENA is working on eval-

uating the status o these technologies and their marketoutlook or deployment in the context o remote islands,

particularly with regards to ocean thermal energy con-

version (OTEC) or power generation, cooling and heat-

ing. In the subsequent work programmes, IRENA will

continue to work on areas o relevance and interest to

countries in the region as they mobilise eorts towards

achieving their various RE targets.

IRENAs Pacic Lighthouses set o reports aims to pro-

vide a better understanding o current energy condi-

tions in the Pacic Islands region and to acilitate the

continued assessment o challenges and opportunitiesor the deployment o RE in island environments. The

set also constitutes an IRENA input or the Third Inter-

national Conerence on Small Island Developing States

to be held in Samoa, 1-4 September 2014.


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Pacif ic l ighthouses Renewable Energy Roadmapping for Is lands 1

In the Abu Dhabi Communiqu on accelerating renew-

able energy uptake or the Pacic Islands, o 13 Janu-

ary 2012, leaders rom the Pacic Island Countries and

Territories (PICTs) requested the International Renew-

able Energy Agency (IRENA) to map the Renewable

Energy Readiness o the Pacic Island countries and

territories to ascertain the status o renewable energy

opportunities and identiy pathways to close gaps and

to integrate all IRENA activities in the region into a

coherent roadmap or the Pacic Islands. In response,

IRENA has carried out a wide range o activities o spe-cic relevance and application to the PICTs as well as

other Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This work

has now been integrated in this IRENA support docu-

ment or renewable energy roadmapping or islands

aimed at the accelerated uptake o renewables in the

Pacic Islands region.

A renewable energy deployment roadmap in itsel is

not sufcient to achieve an energy transition; yet it is

not just a report. It is a living document and entails a

process that requires regular monitoring and evalua-

tion o progress towards a set renewable energy target,

while adjusting to new circumstances. It clearly spells

out the present energy situation and renewables poten-

tial, and identies gaps and needs, analyses and evalu-

ates deployment strategies, puts in place action plans

or achieving the target, and allocates the resources

required to implement the plans. Finally, a roadmap

should provide valuable benchmarks or monitoring and

reviewing progress towards specied goals. Thereore,

a renewable energy deployment roadmap needs proac-

tive leadership at the highest level and wide stakeholder

engagement, supported by clearly dened roles and

responsibilities, time rames or action, a clear sense o

priorities or action and allocation o resources. Further-more, availability o skilled sta is essential in order to

develop and implement an RE roadmap that provides

the ramework or development partners (including

multilateral development nance institutions and bilat-

eral donors) and the private sector to provide the unds

needed or investment in bankable project proposals

with replicable and scalable business models.

Most PICTs have committed in policy statements to a

path that will bring them ever closer to breaking the ties

with ossil uels. A number o islands have already start-

ed substantial deployment o renewable energy, withsome countries having put in place ambitious targets o

up to 100% renewables in the energy mix. However, in

many cases, roadmaps laying out short, mid- and long-

term strategies to meet such targets are not sufciently

developed, or implementation has been inadequate.

The PICTs can become lighthouses in the transition to-

wards renewable energy, which is a core component o

sustainable development. Renewable energy roadmaps

or strategies and their associated implementation plan

can provide an important, ambitious and commitment-

driven mechanism or achieving the United NationsSustainable Energy or All (SE4ALL) initiative. IRENAs

REMAP 2030 is the global ramework or promoting a

doubling o the share o renewables in the global energy

mix by 2030 as one o three inter-related objectives o

the SE4ALL initiative. The PICTs renewable energy tran-

sition roadmaps will thereore contribute to the REMAP

objective and vice versa. IRENA is involved in the Tonga

Energy Roadmap (TERM) and, together with the Ger-

man Agency or International Cooperation (GIZ) and the

Secretariat o the Pacic Community (SPC), is assisting

Nauru in the development o its energy roadmap. As a

result o the Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA)

conducted or Kiribati jointly by the Ministry o Public

Works, the utilities o Kiribati and IRENA, ve concrete

actions needed to enable the development and scale-

up o renewable energy in Kiribati have been identied;

their successul implementation would lead to the need

or a long-term roadmap through which the goal o be-

ing energy independent could be realised. Other parties,

such as the World Bank, also support roadmap devel-

opment elsewhere in the PICTs, including the recently-

completed Vanuatu National Energy Roadmap.

This document, in accordance with IRENAs renewable

energy roadmapping ramework or islands, ocuses onidentiying the key concepts, challenges and best prac-

tices needed to increase renewable energy uptake in

the PICTs. The report, together with the accompanying

island-specic study reports, is intended to provide PICT

members o IRENA and, indeed, all stakeholders, with

baseline inormation that could assist them in the de-

velopment o their national renewable energy deploy-

ment roadmaps or action plans, as well as contribute

to the implementation o regional initiatives such as the

Framework or Action on Energy Security in the Pacic

(FAESP) and its associated Implementation Plan or En-

ergy Security in the Pacic (IPESP). The data providedin the report and accompanying reports compliment

1. Introduction and context


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Pacif ic l ighthouses Renewable Energy Roadmapping for Is lands2

and/or supplement those in other national and regional

studies, including the SPCs Country Energy Security

Indicator Proles1, the United Nations Economic and

Social Commission or Asia and the Pacic (ESCAP)

report on Pacic Perspectives on the Challenges to

Energy Security and the Sustainable Use o Energy2,

the Pacic Islands Renewable Energy Project (PIREP)3

,and the Pacic Power Association (PPA) benchmarking

reports, among others4.

In the ollowing sections, the report outlines the case

or increased renewable energy (RE) deployment in the

PICTs in the context o the existing energy landscape in

1 Available atwww.spc.int/edd/en/section-01/energy-overview/179-country-energy-security-indicator-proles-2009

2 See www.unescap.org/ape/preparatory-process/scm/Pacifc/documents/energy-security-nal.pd

3 www.sprep.org/Paciic-Islands-Greenhouse-Gas-Abatement-

through-Renewable-Energy-Project/pirep-documents4 www.ppa.org.j/publication-report/

the region and policy targets (Sections 2 and 3). It then

highlights RE resource potential or power generation

in the region, together with their operation and mainte-

nance requirements (Section 4). Section 5 presents the

importance o sustainable energy systems design, mod-

elling and planning as an integrated and comprehensive

approach towards the transition to a renewables-basedenergy uture in the Pacic region. Section 6 looks at

renewable opportunities or the transport sector in the

region. Section 7 highlights key barriers to increasing

the share o renewables in the energy mix o the PICTs.

Section 8 outlines key IRENA activities in the PICTs,

including the country studies and key messages arising

rom them. The report concludes with Section 9, which

summarises identied key actions needed to overcome

barriers to enhanced deployment o RE in the PICTs,

together with the possible roles or IRENA, working in

partnership with the PICTs, member states and develop-

ment partners, towards a renewables transition in thePacic islands region.
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Pacic islands ace a unique combination o geographic

and economic actors that pose a particular risk to their

energy security. More than 3,000 islands collectively

known as the PICTs5 are mostly spread over the west

o the Pacic Ocean. The islands are diverse and the

distances between them are large.

2.1 Fossil-uel dependence

The majority o the PICTs depend almost exclusively on

imported rened oil products to meet their power gen-

eration and transportation energy needs with most o the

islands located ar rom major oil rening and distribution

hubs and depending on complex and lengthy uel supply

chains. Fuel delivery logistics are oten urther compli-

cated by lack o modern port acilities in some islands,

requiring the use o smaller, specialised ships. The uel de-

mand o individual islands is small. The small geographic

size and economic resources o islands constrain uelstorage. Both actors reduce the purchasing power or

oil. As a result, the PICTs ace some o the worlds highest

uel costs and have greater exposure to price volatility

and supply disruptions. Furthermore, diesel-based power

generation is dominant in the region and is the most ex-

pensive orm o power or most situations in the region.

For example, in 2010 the regions utilities had consumer

electricity taris that averaged between USD 0.39 and

0.44/kWh or household (200 kWh/month) and com-

mercial (500 kWh/month) users6. For some islands the

tari exceeded USD 1.00/kWh. In act actual electricity

production costs are likely to be higher as many PICTs

provide subsidies (whether explicit or indirect) to protect

consumers rom the ull price o power generation.7

High energy costs, price volatility and risks to uel sup-

ply are o particular concern because most PICTs have

5 The PICTs reerred to in this document are: Cook Islands, Feder-

ated States o Micronesia, Republic o Fiji, Kiribati, Republic o theMarshall Islands, Republic o Nauru, Niue, Republic o Palau, Papua

New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kingdom o Tonga, Tokelau,

Tuvalu and the Republic o Vanuatu.

6 See, or example, the Pacifc Power Association Benchmark-

ing Report or 2011. Available at: www.ppa.org.j/wp-content/

uploads/2013/03/03-Benchmarking-Report-Dec-2011.pd7 Pacic Economic Monitor, Asian Development Bank, July 2010

small economies. The high cost o uel dominates the

trade decit or the region, driving up prices o ood and

other essential items and thus limiting investments in

education, inrastructure and other key services.

2.2 The impact o climate conditionsAs clearly demonstrated by various studies8, the PICTs

are particularly vulnerable to the impacts o climate

change and so ace a signicant threat rom rising ocean

levels (with some island having a maximum elevation o

less than ve metres above sea level), increased severity

and requency o storm activity and requent weather

disruptions. In this region unusual variability in the

magnitude and timing (seasonality) o rainall can aect

hydropower output and dam design, as well as the yield

o crops or biouels. Slight temperature changes can

aect the suitability o specic crops or biouels. Mod-

est changes in wind speed can signicantly aect wind

power output. Sea level rise can aect water tables and

salinity gradients, which has consequences or energy

needs related to water supply. Increased requency and

severity o cyclones could aect design considerations

or wind and solar power systems. High temperatures

and salinity require special attention to the durability

o technology solutions. Thereore the design o RE

systems or the PICTs needs to take into account the

specic climate conditions o the region.

2.3 Renewable energy can be a costcompetitive alternative

Successul widespread deployment o RE technologies

in the Pacic would increase energy and economic se-

curity by signicantly reducing or even eliminating the

8 See, or example, Australian Bureau o Meteorology and CSIRO,2011. Climate Change in the Pacic: Scientic Assessment and

New Research. Volume 1: Regional Overview. Volume 2: Coun-

try Reports. Available at: www.cawcr.gov.au/projects/PCCSP/

publications1.html; and also ADBs report on Climate Risk andAdaptation in the Electric Power Sector by Peter Johnston. Avail-

able at www.adb.org/publications/climate-risk-and-adaptation-electric-power-sector.

2. The rationale or renewablesin the Pacifc Islands region
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kr.htmlhttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.cawcr.gov.au/projects/PCCSP/publications1.htmlhttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.cawcr.gov.au/projects/PCCSP/publications1.htmlhttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.adb.org/publications/climate-risk-and-adaptation-electric-power-sectorhttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.adb.org/publications/climate-risk-and-adaptation-electric-power-sectorhttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.adb.org/publications/climate-risk-and-adaptation-electric-power-sectorhttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.adb.org/publications/climate-risk-and-adaptation-electric-power-sectorhttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.cawcr.gov.au/projects/PCCSP/publications1.htmlhttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.cawcr.gov.au/projects/PCCSP/publications1.htmlhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kr.html


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dependence on imported oil. Several PICTs possess a

variety o abundant RE resources with high technical

potential that, given the high price o oil in the region,

could be economically easible and price competitive

with ossil uel-based energy supplies. Integrating high

levels o RE technologies into the existing power sys-

tems will require a highly skilled workorce and whilethis is a challenge it also opens the opportunity or

creating local, high-wage jobs. High levels o RE would

alter island marketplaces with new technologies and

services, creating local entrepreneurship opportunities.

Notwithstanding the important and pressing drive to

address the sustainable energy needs o island com-

munities with tried and tested renewable energy tech-

nologies, it is equally crucial to note that islands present

unique challenges and opportunities or the deployment

o RE in general. Islands can be lighthouses or beacons

or the early commercialisation phases o RE tech-nologies through collaborative research, development

and demonstration (RD&D) that leads to enhanced

RE technology development and deployment suitable

or island conditions. However, this has to be based on

careully chosen and targeted deployment that can lead

to scale-up and replication potential in areas such as

the PICTs, while also considering the technical capacity

available locally or deployment, and the operation and

maintenance o such systems. Furthermore, the small

sizes o populations as well as power plants and grids

make it easier to widely deploy entire new energy sys-

tems based on renewables. Along with small scale, the

isolation o island power systems allows or meaningulanalysis o new technologies at varying levels o pen-

etration and investment, thereby allowing or a much

shorter eedback loop or corrective actions than would

be likely on large, interconnected mainland power grids.

In addition, the small physical scale o islands results

in comparatively short driving distances, thus making

electric vehicles (EV) an attractive transportation op-

tion or PICTs to consider, especially i electricity costs

can be substantially lowered and the batteries are not

charged rom ossil uel-powered systems but rom

renewable sources.

2.4 Barriers to renewable energy

uptake in the Pacifc Islands

While RE has the potential to greatly improve the ener-

gy security o the PICTs, there are signicant challenges

that need to be overcome. In the early stages, new and

unamiliar power generation and transportation systems

based on renewable resources could be seen as difcult

to design, operate and maintain in the PICTs, in com-parison to the established oil-based systems in place

today. However, the costs o renewable energy tech-

nologies are decreasing globally. This could contribute

to the potential or increased deployment o RE in the

PICTs. A properly designed system depends on detailed

knowledge o site specic RE resource availability; this

is lacking or limited on many islands. Furthermore, the

durability and successul operation o RE systems inisland environments depend very much on the appro-

priate selection o system components that are suitable

or the high temperatures, salinity and climatic vari-

ability ound in the Pacic Island region. There are also

specic stability issues to consider, with the integration

o increasing shares o variable renewables into diesel

generator-based grids. Specic skill sets are needed or

the proper operation and maintenance o systems that

address these issues and are oten ound to be lacking.

In some cases o donor-unded projects PICTs have little

input on equipment selection and project design, result-

ing in a high risk o ailure in operating and maintaining

the installed system. As a result o these issues, as well

as various management and business model limitations,

many o the past RE systems deployed in the PICTs have

not perormed according to expectations. However, as

RE systems have become increasing more common

recently and the support systems have improved, the

success rate o RE deployment has improved in more

recent years.

In addition to technical and human capacity issues, the

social, policy and economic environment on islands

can present barriers to RE uptake. Land tenure in the

PICTs is complex, with most land being communally

owned and having complex systems o access rights.

This actor, together with the small size o islands and

the existence o numerous cultural sites, can pose chal-

lenges to those RE systems that have signicant land

requirements. Thereore including all key stakeholders

in the planning process and building social acceptance

is essential to RE project success. Policy and regulatory

rameworks on many islands have been set up or cen-

tralised utilities that are usually vertically integrated and

state owned. These rameworks will likely require someadjustment to allow widespread RE deployment.

Finally, while it is important to nd commonalities

among the PICTs and develop recommendations that

are widely applicable across the region, it is critical to

note that the PICTs are extremely diverse in size, ge-

ography, population density, gross domestic product

(GDP), resource availability, access to unding and many

other key characteristics. These island specic charac-

teristics greatly aect RE resource availability and REproject implementation.


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2.5 The need or a regional

and national ramework orrenewable energy uptake

The SPC, together with the Council o Regional Organi-

sations in the Pacic (CROP) agencies9

, PICTs, indus-try representatives and development partners, led the

development o A Framework or Action on Energy

Security in the Pacic (FAESP)10, which was endorsed

by leaders at the 41st Pacic Islands Forum in August

2010. The FAESP provides a regional ramework or im-

proved coordination and a whole-o-sector approach to

addressing the energy security challenges in the Pacic

region. It acknowledges that the national energy poli-

cies and plans must be the principle means or achieving

energy security in the Pacic. and outlines areas or

action to support the eorts o the PICTs to improve

their energy security. In terms o energy production and

supply FAESP identies RE as an important part o the

eorts to reduce dependence on ossil uels in the PICTs.

In order to achieve the energy security outcomes de-

ned in FAESP, a separate regional Implementation

Plan or Energy Security in the Pacic (IPESP) was also

developed, with the lead taken by the SPC in collabora-

9 CROP (Council o Regional Organisations in the Pacic) is a re-

gional organisation which is mandated to improve cooperation, co-

ordination, and collaboration among the various intergovernmental

regional organisations in the Pacic region to work together orachieving the common goal o sustainable development.

10 Available at www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/pacifc_region/686.pd

tion with the CROP, PICTs, industry representatives and

development partners. The IPESP is a 5-year plan rom

2010 to 2015, which aims to support the implementation

o FAESP reecting the priorities o the region. The work

o the Energy Programme o the SPC is guided by, and

reported under, the IPESP. The SPCs energy security

indicators (2009) or various PICTs are published un-der FAESP/IPESP11. The SPC is conducting a mid-term

review o IPESP that is planned or completion by De-

cember 2013. It is clear that regional solutions provide

the scale that would be attractive or private sector

investors to provide viable RE generation at a reduced

unit cost. The Pacic islands region clearly requires

strong support in terms o both engagement and im-

plementation capacity to realise the IPESP projects or

a sustainable energy development in the region. More

recently, a number o countries have developed national

energy roadmaps such as the Tonga Energy Roadmap

(TERM)12

, the Cook Islands Renewable Electricity Chart13

and Tuvalus Enetise Tutumau. Vanuatu and Nauru are

in the process o completing their roadmaps in 2013.

Kiribati has carried out a RRA. Other PICTs are reviewing

their energy policies and considering the development

o their own roadmaps. Table 1 gives a summary o

various regional energy programmes, national energy

roadmaps and key documents in the PICTs.

11 www.spc.int/edd/en/document-download/fnish/68-pacifc-ener-gy-advisory-group-meeting/813-session1-aespipesp

12 See, or example, www.tonga-energy.to/

13 http://cook-islands.gov.ck/docs/renewableenergy/Cook%20Is-

lands%20Renewable%20Energy%20Chart%20Final%20April%202012.pd
http://www.spc.int/edd/en/document-download/finish/68-pacific-energy-advisory-group-meeting/813-session1-faespipesphttp://www.spc.int/edd/en/document-download/finish/68-pacific-energy-advisory-group-meeting/813-session1-faespipesphttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.tonga-energy.to/http://cook-islands.gov.ck/docs/renewableenergy/Cook%20Islands%20Renewable%20Energy%20Chart%20Final%20April%202012.pdfhttp://cook-islands.gov.ck/docs/renewableenergy/Cook%20Islands%20Renewable%20Energy%20Chart%20Final%20April%202012.pdfhttp://cook-islands.gov.ck/docs/renewableenergy/Cook%20Islands%20Renewable%20Energy%20Chart%20Final%20April%202012.pdfhttp://cook-islands.gov.ck/docs/renewableenergy/Cook%20Islands%20Renewable%20Energy%20Chart%20Final%20April%202012.pdfhttp://cook-islands.gov.ck/docs/renewableenergy/Cook%20Islands%20Renewable%20Energy%20Chart%20Final%20April%202012.pdfhttp://cook-islands.gov.ck/docs/renewableenergy/Cook%20Islands%20Renewable%20Energy%20Chart%20Final%20April%202012.pdfhttp://uaeauhvpri01/UDrive$/nmacdonald/editing/IITC/Pacific%20files%20Aug%202013/www.tonga-energy.to/http://www.spc.int/edd/en/document-download/finish/68-pacific-energy-advisory-group-meeting/813-session1-faespipesphttp://www.spc.int/edd/en/document-download/finish/68-pacific-energy-advisory-group-meeting/813-session1-faespipesp


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Table 1: Existing energy roadmaps, documents and programmes in the Pacic Island Countries and Territories

Pacifc Island Coun-

tries and Territories

Existing National Energy

Roadmap/Strategy Status Development partners

Cook Islands National Energy Policy 2003

Renewable Energy Chart 2011

Renewable Energy Chart Imple-

mentation Plan 2012

ADB, NZMFAT, EIB, PIFS, SPC, UNDP.

Fiji National Energy Policy 2006 Review is in progress andexpected to complete

by 2013.

GIZ, SPC UNDP, ADB, EIB, GIZ,IRENA, IUCN, PIFS, REEEP, WB.

Federal States o

Micronesia

Energy Policy 2010 ADB, EC, EIB, FSM, PIFS, SPC, UNDP

Kiribati Kiribati National Energy Policy

2009

RE target revised ollow-

ing IRENA RRA work-

shop.

EC, GIZ, IRENA, PIFS, UNDP, WB.

Republic o MarshallIslands

National Energy Policy and EnergyAction Plan 2009

Review to commenceduring second hal o

2013.

ADB, AusAID, EC, IUCN, JICA, PIFS,REEEP, UNDP, WB.

Nauru Nauru Energy Policy Framework,

2009 (NEPF)

Nauru Energy Roadmap

Review in progress and

expected to complete by

2013. Energy roadmap

currently under develop-ment.

AusAID, EC, GIZ, ADB, IRENA, IUCN,

UNDP.

Niue Niue Energy Policy and Action Plan

2005

EC, IUCN, PIFS, UNDP.

Palau Palau National Energy Policy, 2010 IUCN, EC, SPC, EIB, IRENA, JICA,

REEEP, SPC, UNDP, WB .

Papua New Guinea PNG National Energy Policy 2006 ADB, EIB, NZMFAT, UNDP, WB.

Samoa Samoa Energy Sector Plan 2012-

2016

ADB, AusAID, EIB, IUCN, NZMFAT,

PIFS, REEEP, UNDP.

Solomon Islands National Energy Policy Framework

2007

Review in progress. ADB, AusAID, EIB, IUCN, JICA, NZM-

FAT, PIFS, SPC, UNDP, WB.

Tokelau Tokelau National Energy Policyand Strategic Action Plan 2004

(NEPSAP)

Achieved approximately100% RE in 2013.

NZMFAT, UNDP.

Tonga Tonga Energy Roadmap 2010-2020(TERM)

Well advanced.

http://energy.gov.to/

ADB, AusAID, EC, EIB, GIZ, IRENA,IUCN, JICA, NZMFAT, PIFS, REEEP,

SPC, UAE, UNDP, WB.

Tuvalu Enetise Tutumau 2012-2020

(Master Plan or Renewable

Electricity and Energy Efciency in

Tuvalu)

EC, GIZ, IUCN, NZMFAT, UNDP

Vanuatu Vanuatu Energy Roadmap 2012(VERM)

Expected to be adoptedin 2013

AusAID, EIB, EU, GIZ, IUCN, JICA,NZMFAT, REEEF, UNDP, WB.

Where: ADB is Asian Development Bank; AusAID is the Australian Government Overseas Aid Program; EC is the European Commission; EIB is the

European Investment Bank; EU is the European Union; FSM is the Federated States o Micronesia; GIZ is the German International Cooperation

Agency Deutsche Gesellschat r Internationale Zusammenarbeit; IRENA is the International Renewable Energy Agency; IUCN is the International

Union or Conservation o Nature; JICA is the Japan International Cooperation Agency; NZMFAT is the New Zealand Ministry o Foreign Aairs and

Trade; PIFS is the Pacic Islands Forum Secretariat; REEEP is the Renewable Energy and Energy Efciency Partnership; SPC is the Secretariat othe Pacic Community; UAE is the United Arab Emirates; UNDP is the United Nations Development Programme; WB is the World Bank.
http://energy.gov.to/http://energy.gov.to/


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3.1 General characteristicso Pacifc islands

Figure 1 illustrates the dispersion o the Pacic Island

Countries and Territories across the Pacic region.

IRENAs eorts to increase sustainable uptake o RE or

social, environmental and economic development in Pa-cic are ocused on 15 PICTs. The basic characteristics o

these PICTs as listed in Table 2, were collected rom the

CIA World Factbook, the PPA and island utilities.

3.2 Energy use in the Pacifc region

Transportation, power generation, and cooking domi-nate energy use in the Pacic. Industrial use o energy

3. Energy landscape in thePacifc Islands region

Source: Courtesy o the University o Texas Libraries, University o Texas at Austin, Texas, US.

The boundaries and names shown on this map do not imply ofcial acceptance or endorsement by the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Figure 1: Regional map o the Pacic Islands region


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Table 2: PICTs land area, population, GDP and electricity access

Country

Landarea

(km2)

Population000 (2011

estimate2)

GDP percapita PPP

(USD)

Electricity

Access1 Comments

Cook Islands 240 17 10,300 100%

14 islands; 90% o people and 88% o land on 8 southern islands

(volcanic & raised coral). Northern islands mostly small atolls.

Population declining -3.2% per year.

Federated States

o Micronesia702 107 2,200 46%

607 islands varying rom mountainous to atolls spread over our

states extending 2500 km east-west & 1000 km north-south.

Population change o -0.3% per year.

Fiji 18,300 883 4,400 81%320 islands, populated. Largest two islands have 87% o land

& ~ 95% o population. Population growth 0.8% per year.

Kiribati 811 101 6,200 60%

32 widely scattered atolls in three groups plus one raised coral

island stretching 4200 km east-west & 2000 km north-south.

Population growth o 1.3% per year, urban increasing 1.9% per

year.

Marshall Islands 181 67 2,500 80%29 atolls (22 inhabited) and 5 raised coral islands (4 inhabited).No land higher than 5 m above sea level. Population growth o

2% per year; 72% o people in urban Majuro/Kwajalein.

Nauru 21 9.3 N/A 100%Single isolated equatorial island. Two plateaus with topsidepeak o 71 m, typically 30 m above bottom side. Populationgrowth o about 0.6% per year.

Niue 259 1.35,800(03)

100%

Reputedly the worlds largest raised coral island. Ree is close

to land and no lagoon. Land rises nearly vertically to perimeter

height o 25-40 m. Population stable with very slow decline.

Palau 458 21 9,300 98%

200+ islands, most very small and in a compact area, only 9are permanently inhabited; 95% o islands & 90% o population

within the main ree containing Babeldaob, Koror & Peleliu is-

lands. Estimated 0.4% growth rate per year.

Papua New

Guinea462,800 6,188 2,500 12%

600+ islands, with 80% o population in the eastern hal o the

island o New Guinea. Estimated population growth o 2% peryear.

Samoa 2,934 193 5,500 98%Volcanic islands o Savaii (58% o land & 24% o population)and Upolu (38% & 76% respectively) plus 8 small islands. Popu-

lation growth o 0.6% per year.

Solomon

Islands

28,450 572 2,900 ~10%

Nearly 1000 islands o which 350 are inhabited. 6 main islands

account or 80% o land area and bulk o population. Population

growth o 2.2%, urban growth 4.2% per year.

Tokelau 12 1.4 N/A 100%

Three atolls: Atau, Fakaoo and Nukunonu. Highest land about

5 m above sea level. Population changing very little. No urbanpopulation.

Tonga 748 106 6,100 ~90%

176 islands in 4 groups (Tongatapu, Haapai, Vavau & Niua) with

36 inhabited islands. Population growth estimated at 0.25% per

year.

Tuvalu 26 10.5 3,400 94%

6 atolls with large lagoons enclosed by a ree plus 3 raised coral

islands without large lagoons. Funauti with 22% o land hasabout 50% o population. Estimated annual growth rate 0.7%.

Vanuatu 12,200 225 5,100 28%

Over 80 islands, mostly volcanic, 65 populated. 80% o the pop-

ulation is on 7 islands. Population grew by 2.6% per year rom

1986-1996 but current rate is 1.3%.

Source: Updated to 2011 rom National PIREP reports (2004)

Note: km2 is kilometres square; km is kilometre; and m is metre.

~ is approximately

Per-Capita GDP is rom several sources and there are discrepancies between sources so gures should be considered indicative only

1 Includes rural electricity access through solar home systems

2 Source: 2012 CIA act book


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is mostly limited to mining on a ew islands. More wide

spread are agricultural, orestry and sh based indus-

tries, almost all o which rely directly on electricity.

The traditional use o biomass or cooking remains the

largest component o overall energy use in rural areas

throughout the PICTs though its use is slowly declining

in avour o liqueed petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosenein the more urban areas. With the exception o some no-

table contributions rom hydropower in Fiji, Papua New

Guinea and Samoa, energy use in the Pacic is domi-

nated by imported oil. Excluding Papua New Guinea, the

lack o known local oil resources and rening capacity

in most PICTs means that rened oil products must be

imported over large distances.

Transportation sector

In the Pacic, transportation accounts or the highest

proportion o energy demand and uses mostly imported

rened oil products. A lack o available, accessible, up-

to-date and detailed data makes it difcult to determine

the exact split o uel usage between land, sea and air

transport. However it can be generally stated that land

transport is the largest sector and is dominated by a mix

o diesel and gasoline passenger cars and light com-

mercial vehicles. Sea and air transport play important

roles or the Pacic states with a wide dispersion o

populated islands. Generally sea transport is the larger

o the two with varying contributions rom inter-island

passenger and cargo services and shing eets. Local

air transportation is generally limit to a small number

o light aircrat but can be signicant on islands with

developed tourist industries (e.g. the Cook Islands, Fiji

and Vanuatu). It is by and large not practical to include

long distance shipping or ights as part o island uel

consumption since international companies that handle

their own uel purchases generally provide these ser-

vices and most reuelling takes place elsewhere.

At present cost, policy, technical and sociocultural bar-

riers impede a major shit in the transportation sectorrom ossil uels to RE. However, given that the transpor-

tation sector dominates Pacic island oil consumption,

it is essential that RE transportation options be thor-

oughly examined to determine when and how they can

be deployed on a large scale. Given the current barriers

to increased use o renewables in the transportation

sector, it is evident that increased shares o renewable

energy integration in the Pacic Islands region in the

near to medium-term would be achieved mainly rom

the power generation sector where integration o high

percentages o RE has been successully demonstrated

and is likely to have the greatest near term impact,together with demand side energy management, on

reducing oil dependence and greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions.

Power Sector

In 2010, electricity generation represented approxi-mately 25% o the Pacic Islands oil demand. A review

o the PPA 2011 Benchmarking Report revealed that

commercial and residential sectors comprise the bulk

o Pacic electricity demand. In 2010 these two sectors

accounted or 68% o regional electricity sales. This

gure is skewed by Papua New Guinea since or most

PICTs the commercial and residential sectors account

or an even higher percentage o electricity sales. The

split between the sectors varies rom island to island,

but the usage or both is primarily comprised o lighting,

cooking, consumer electronics, water production and

supply, and rerigeration and air-conditioning. Theseusages also dominate the 16% o regional electricity sale

to governments (mainly or air conditioning, lighting

and powering o ofce equipment). The tropical climate

in most o the Pacic limits heating demand. However,

tourist resorts and other acilities oten consume signi-

cant amounts o energy to heat water and or cooling.

Industry constitutes only 16% o regional electricity sales

and is limited to those islands with orestry, agricultural

and shery industries. Mining consumes large amounts

o electricity on a ew islands (mostly in Papua New

Guinea), but is typically provided by private onsite

generation.

The Pacic utilities are dominated by diesel generation

with only Tokelau, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and

Vanuatu currently having more than 10% o electric-

ity production through RE. An overview o the current

characteristics o grid power system in the national utili-

ties is seen in Table 3.

In 2011 electricity prices in the PICTs ranged widely rom

USD 0.151.50 /kWh, depending on the islands. The

average (a combination o residential, commercial and

government taris) was around USD 0.35 /kWh. Most

o the island countries subsidise residential customersand several subsidise all electricity sales with very ew

even coming close to a ull cost recovery or electric-

ity deliveries. For utilities with a national tari, there is

considerable cross-subsidy rom the urban centres to

rural consumers (residential and others) on the grid.

This could aect the nancial viability o RE in smaller

rural centres. Generally, most governments are unaware

o the actual amount o the subsidy and so a clearer

accounting is needed to capture and assess these subsi-

dies. The actual cost o electricity delivery varies widely

rom place to place. Outer island electricity delivery cost

oten exceeds USD 1.00 per kWh and even higher orsmall grids.


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Table 4 presents the results o a review o the electricity

generation systems o the 15 PICTs14. The total genera-

tion capacity or the 15 PICTs in 2012 is approximately

14 These data were compiled using key generation statistics rom the

CIA World Factbook, the PPA 2011 and 2012 Benchmarking Reportand data rom local utilities.

712 Megawatt (MW). In 2011 approximately 78% o the

power generation on these islands came rom genera-

tors uelled with diesel, heavy uel oil (HFO) or light uel

oil (LFO). The remaining 22% was primarily provided

by hydropower. Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tokelauare signicant outliers in terms o both total capacity

Table 4: Electricity generation statistics in 2010/2011

(Compiled rom the 2012 PPA Power Benchmarking Manual and eld survey)

PICTInstalled Capacity

(MW)Peak Demand1

(MW)Annual Generation

(MWh)

Cook Islands 10.36 4.9 27,763

FSM-Chuuk 2.0 4.0 9,768

FSM-Kosrae 1.5 1.1 6,504

FSM-Pohnpei 7.6 6.9 38,920

FSM-Yap 6.6 2.3 13,000

Fiji 211.2 139.6 835,169

Kiribati 5.5 5.3 21,641

Marshall Islands-Majuro 28 8.9 75,749

Marshall Islands-Ebeye 3.6 2.0 14,183Nauru 6.04 3.3 17,103

Niue 3.25 0.54 3,168

Palau 18.9 15.4 84,860

Papua New Guinea 2922 92.94 796,610 + 1,900,0003

Samoa 37.5 18.0 111,353

Solomon Islands 25.6 13.8 83,600

Tokelau4 0.927 0.20 34,000*

Tonga 15.3 7.7 52,609

Tuvalu 5.1 1.0 11,800

Vanuatu (UNELCO) 23.9 11.3 60,360

Vanuatu (VUI)5 4.1 1.71 3,350

Total 712 349 4,201,510

Where FSM is the Federated States o Micronesia

1: Peak demand main island nation grid only, excludes notable power systems on secondary/remote islands & private generation

2: Excludes substantial generation assets dedicated to private mining activities

3: First value: PNG public utility, second value: private mining operations

4. Based on Tokelaus new PV-based power system. The old diesel generators are now used as back-up or the PV system (see, or example, Issue 10 o the Pacifc Ener-giser (January 2013), available atwww.spc.int/edd/en/section-01/energy-overview/energy/198-pacic-energiser-issue-10, and also www.itpau.com.au/wp-content/

uploads/2013/05/TREP-case-study.pd. *The annual generation is estimated rom inverter-level data or May 2013.

5. From the Vanuatu Utilities Regulatory Authoritys 2011 perormance o Vanuatu Utilities & Inrastructure Ltd (VUI).
http://www.spc.int/edd/en/section-01/energy-overview/energy/198-pacific-energiser-issue-10http://www.itpau.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/TREP-case-study.pdfhttp://www.itpau.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/TREP-case-study.pdfhttp://www.itpau.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/TREP-case-study.pdfhttp://www.itpau.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/TREP-case-study.pdfhttp://www.spc.int/edd/en/section-01/energy-overview/energy/198-pacific-energiser-issue-10


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and generation mix, with Tokelau having transitioned to

approximately 100% renewable power generation rom

solar PV. Omitting Papua New Guinea and Fiji, the total

generation capacity in the PICTs is roughly 175 MW and

consists mostly o diesel generators. Additionally, be-

cause many PICTs are composed o numerous islands,

the 175 MW o capacity is divided among many smallerpower plants most o which are on the main island

o each PICT. To determine the characteristics o these

individual power plants IRENA reviewed the Platts 2013

World Electric Power Plants (WEPP) database. The

database shows that the bulk o the regions generation

capacity consists o power plants o less than 10 MW

utilising several generators with capacities ranging rom

around 25 kilowatt (kW) to 10 MW (Table 5). Figure 2

shows a breakdown o the year-by-year and cumulative

installation o the diesel generator eet up to 2011. The

gure excludes Papua New Guinea and Fiji in order to

give a better representation o the typical conditions onthe smaller Pacic islands.

In the Pacic it is common or populations to be con-

centrated in urban areas on main islands with a single

power station supplying the communitys electricity.

Widespread high voltage transmission grids are uncom-

mon except in Nauru and Niue. The individual power sta-

tions usually have signicant overcapacity to increase

security o supply, although the extent o overcapacityestimated rom the Platts WEPP data can be misleading

or the PICTs, as many o the power generation systems

are in poor condition and signicantly de-rated.

The small and isolated nature o the majority o Pacic

diesel power plants is a particular concern or the in-

tegration o high levels o variable RE. Large intercon-

nected mainland grids usually have a wide variety o

generation assets they can draw on to balance out

variable RE power generation. Pacic grids, however,

are typically dependent on one or two diesel power sta-

tions, which are oten not inter-connected and will haveto augment their existing generation systems with new

Table 5: WEPP Pacic island operational diesel generator statistics (2013)

PICTsCapacity

(MW)Number o

Units

Unit Size (MW) Operational Year

Min Max Oldest Newest

Cook Islands 11.04 24 0.025 2.1 1990 2009

FS o Micronesia 35.09 36 0.027 3.2 1974 2012

Fiji 67.03 39 0.06 10.15 1953 2011

Kiribati 8.90 9 0.6 1.4 1994 2005

Marshall Islands 41.90 33 0.06 6.4 1982 2003

Nauru 4.00 5 0.8 2002 2005

Niue 1.68 4 0.421 no data

Palau 18.88 17 0.1 3.4 1997 2012

Papua New Guinea 141.34 28 0.14 15 2007 2011

Samoa 16.59 15 0.045 3.5 1979 2001

Solomon Islands 37.78 44 0.04 4.2 1971 2006

Tonga 14.44 19 0.056 1.729 1972 1998

Tokelau no data

Tuvalu 3.71 30 0.045 1 1982 2001

Vanuatu 15.46 14 0.1 4.23 1994 2010

Total 418 317

Where FS o Micronesia is the Federated States o Micronesia


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technology to compensate or variable RE rom solar

and wind power sources without storage.

Another key concern is the advanced age o the diesel

generators in the region. The average genset in the

PICTs is around 20 years old. Figure 2 shows that the

last major deployment o generators occurred over tenyears ago. This means that many generators in the area

are approaching or have exceeded the manuacturers

recommended liespan. It should be noted that compi-

lation o the WEPP database does not always include

direct data verication or remote areas such as the

Pacic. Thereore, some o the older generators in Table

4 may no longer be in operation. However, inquiries with

the PPA identied generators that have been in continu-

ous use since the early 1980s.

The aged status o the many gensets in PICTs has sig-

nicant implications when considering high levels o REpenetration. Older units usually lack computer control

systems and are likely to have slower ramp rates ( i.e.

the rate at which the system can increase or decrease

its power output) and reduced uel efciencies when

compared to more modern diesels generators. A basic

review o diesel generator unction and the eects o RE

integration are given in one o the supporting studies

or this report, title Pacic Lighthouses: Hybrid powersystems. This case study sheds light on the particular

challenges posed by the small capacity, isolation and

advanced age o the Pacic islands diesel eet o elec-

tricity generation systems.

Energy or cooking

The traditional use o biomass or cooking remains the

largest component o overall energy use throughout

the PICTs, particularly in outer islands. However, there

are increasing shits to the use o liqueed petroleumgas (LPG) and kerosene on the main islands. The use

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Number&Capacity(MW)ofInstalledUnits

Year by Year Installation of Current Diesel Fleet (Excludes Fiji & PNG)

Number (Total: 253)

Capacity (Total: 208.72 MW)

Average Year of Installation: 1992

Average Age: 20 yearsAverage Unit Capacity: 0.868 MW

64 units: 10.98 MW of Capacity not shown

(no data on year of installtion)

Figure 2: Year-by-year installation o diesel feet o power generators in the PICTs up to 2011 (excludes Fiji & PNG).


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o biogas or cooking has had varied experiences on a

number o islands.

3.3 Use o renewable energyHydropower provides a major contribution to electricity

generation in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. Pres-

ently there is generally limited use o biomass to oset

ossil uel consumption or power generation on islands

with orestry and agricultural processing acilities where

there is potential or use o biomass residues as eed-

stock or energy generation. PV systems, used primarily

or rural electrication, are spread across the region.

There are also a number o medium to large scale grid-

connected PV installations serving urban areas. Utility

scale wind arms are operational in Fiji and Vanuatu.

However, the vast bulk o power generation capacity is

based on internal combustion engine generators utilis-

ing imported diesel, HFO and LFO. Table 6 summarises

experiences with various renewable energy resourcesin the PICTs.

3.4 Energy policy rameworks

Since the uel price shocks o 2008 and the economic

difculties that were exacerbated as a result o it, gov-

Table 7: Renewable power goals o the Pacic Island Countries and Territories

Countries, Territories &Associated States

Renewable ElectricityGeneration

Renewable Electricity Targets(*Primary Energy)

Approximate% o Total % o Total Year

Cook Islands


29/55


ernments and utilities have placed a higher priority on

increasing the use o renewable energy to generate

electricity in urban areas. Almost all the PICTs have

established policies and goals to increase their use o

renewable energy to generate power and to reduce

uel imports. Table 7 summarises RE generation targets

promulgated by the various PICTs.

The various renewable goals represent a clear political

commitment to RE power generation in the region. To

understand how widespread RE deployment can be

achieved in the Pacic it is critical to review the potential

o Pacic RE resources and determine which resources

can play a major role in island power generation.

With regard to a regional energy ramework, SPC, to-

gether with CROP agencies, PICTs, industry representa-

tives and development partners, led the development

o FAESP (that was approved by the regions leaders in

2011) aimed at achieving energy security in the Pacicislands region through a whole o sector and many

partners, one team approach that pools together e-

orts rom the PICTS and international and regional

stakeholders into a collaborative eort. The ramework

identies seven themes or action to achieve energy

security in the region, namely:

Leadership, governance, coordination and part-

nerships

Capacity development, planning, policy and reg-

ulatory rameworks

Energy production and supply (including renew-able energy)

Energy conversion

End-use energy consumption

Energy data and inormation; and

Financing, monitoring and evaluation.

Following the FAESP, the IPESP was developed and

adopted by Pacic Energy Ministers as a 5-year regional

implementation plans or the period 2011 2015 to real-

ise the goals o FAESP. The implementation plans out-

line regional activities, impacts indicators, timerame,

indicative costs and lead implementing partners or

each o the seven themes dened in the FAESP. Energy

Security Indicators under the broad heading o Energy

Access, Energy Aordability, Energy Efciency/Produc-

tivity and Environment Quality were adopted by Pacic

Energy Ministers to be used monitoring the impacts o

the FAESP. SPC has published the 2009 energy security

indicators as the baselines or the FAESP and its IPESP.

Increased deployment o RE in the region is highlighted

and the key priorities or actions include resource as-sessment, investment in RE, capacity development and

higher percentage o RE in the energy mix.

An IRENA study on Policy challenges or renewa-

ble energy deployment in Pacic island countries and

territories15 assessed the policy design and implemen-

tation or the successul deployment o RE in the region.

It encourages policy makers in the PICTs to support

the adoption o policy and regulatory rameworks to

establish enabling environments to attract investments

RE deployment.

15 The report is available on IRENA website:www.irena.org/ Publica-

tions
http://www.irena.org/Publicationshttp://www.irena.org/Publicationshttp://www.irena.org/Publicationshttp://www.irena.org/Publicationshttp://www.irena.org/Publications


30/55


Generally, solar energy is an economic resource every-

where in the Pacic. Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon

Islands and Vanuatu are the richest in geothermal, bio-

mass and hydro resources. Wind resources are widely

distributed, but tend to increase with distance away

rom the equator.

While there is abundant technical and economically

viable renewable resource potential in the Pacic, re-

newables still only contribute about 10% o the average

base load electricity generated, with the great majorityo that share coming rom hydropower in Fiji and Papua

New Guinea. Traditional biomass use or cooking al-

though slowly declining in avour o LPG and kerosene

still accounts or the largest share o overall energy use

in rural areas throughout the Pacic. Although biouel

opportunities are greatest in Fiji, Papua New Guinea,

Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, almost all the PICTs have

the technical potential to develop coconut oil or biouel

because much o the land, even on atolls and raised

coral islands, is covered with coconut trees. However,

this may not be economically viable in all cases.

Biomass, geothermal and hydro energy are suitable orbase-load generation and can directly oset existing

diesel generators. Solar energy and wind energy are

also very important resources or reducing the amount

o uel used or power generation, but these resources

are variable, with power output varying according to

weather conditions. Thereore, in order to maintain

power quality on the grid, integration o high shares o

these resources typically requires spinning reserves or

advanced controls and energy storage that can instantly

pick up the load in case o clouds or calm winds.

4.1 Abundant technical and

economic renewable energyresource potentials

Solar power

Thus ar, solar energy has been the most commonly

used RE resource because it is available and cost-

eective virtually everywhere in the region. A solar PVsystem, i correctly designed, requires minimal mainte-

nance. All the islands have an excellent solar resource,

although it can vary signicantly rom one island to

another, and even among dierent parts o a relatively

small island, because o the cloud cover. IRENA is lead-

ing the development o a Global Atlas or Solar and

Wind Energy, which aims to assist planners by identiy-

ing the resource potentials o these resources, especially

in areas where existing eld data are limited. The tool

will support decision-making or RE deployment at

global, regional and national levels.

Wind power

The number o islands with reliable data and assess-

ment or an economic wind resource is limited. A ew

installations are operational e.g. in Fiji, Vanuatu, New

Caledonia and French Polynesia. However, the use o

wind turbines by Pacic Island utilities has been limited

as a result o the ollowing constraints:

Island states need to understand the local wind

regime sufciently to have the condence in the

economic soundness o a wind energy installa-tion. Wind energy is site-specic, and the only

way to be sure o the resource is to determine

where suitable sites probably are and then put

wind-measuring equipment on towers at those

sites.

Manuacturers o utility grade turbines have in-

creasingly ocused on larger and larger turbines

or the world market. Consequently, there are ew

production models within the 100 kW to 300 kW

range, which is the most appropriate or these

islands, currently being manuactured.

Tropical storms with winds in excess o 200 km/hour occur on most islands in the Pacic, which

requires storm-resistant wind turbines.

At the other extreme, drops in wind level neces-

sitate some type o spinning reserve to pick up

the load.

In many PICTs, wind is highly seasonal.

The presence o El Nio Southern Oscillation

adds complications. El Nio episodes involving

sustained warming o the central and eastern

tropical Pacic Ocean decrease the strength o

the Pacic trade winds, change the wind direc-

tion in some areas and aect the ormation,strength and paths o cyclones.

4. Renewable energy resourcepotential in the Pacifc Islands region
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_windshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_winds


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Atoll islands have very little land, and conicts

over land ownership in most PICTs oten make it

very time consuming to negotiate access to land

or solar and wind arms.

The isolation o many islands, and their limited

port and road inrastructure, constrain the sizesand types o wind turbines that can be imported

and transported to site or installation. Available

cranes tend to be small and the inrastructure

network or logistical delivery o components on

site is limited

Hydropower

Economically easible hydro generation can be devel-

oped on mountainous islands that have high rainall andlarge enough areas or rainall collection to generate the

required volume and consistency o ow.

Fiji and Papua New Guinea have sufcient land area to

support large hydro installations. Papua New Guinea has

a huge potential or large hydropower, with a number

o studies ongoing or large hydropower development,

particularly rom the Paruri River. The proposed 1.8 GW

project on this river, i developed, would result in a

high export o electricity rom Papua New Guinea to

Australia16. The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu may be

large in total land area, but their individual islands aremostly not large, so or those islands hydro develop-

ment is necessarily limited to smaller-scale installations

useul mainly or community electrication in rural

areas. Samoa, with a hydropower installed capacity o

approximately 12 MW, has very good potential or small

hydropower.

Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

have many possibilities or developing small hydropow-

er stations with small impoundments that could serve as

pumped storage or solar. In this type o installation, a

solar power generator could be connected to pump the

water rom the outall o the hydro plant back into the

reservoir, making it available or use later. Cook Islands

also has potential or such pumped storage hydropower.

This is o particular interest or rural mini-grids where

the peak load is in the evening, several hours ater the

solar PV system has ceased to generate. There is obvi-

ously a loss o available energy in this approach because

o the conversion o electricity to pump the water and

then again in the conversion o water ow to electricity

in the hydropower generation phase.

16 See, or example, www.originenergy.com.au/fles/FactSheetPNGRenewableEnergyProject.pd

Coconut oil biouel

Most o the PICTs have some potential or producing co-

conut oil biouel. Coconuts grow well in the region and

are a traditional source o ood, bre and uel. Further,

the land under the coconut trees is not heavily shaded

and can be successully used or other crops. There are

many economic advantages to coconut oil as, at least,

a partial replacement or imported diesel uel. The most

obvious benet is that the money spent on coconut oil

supports local industry, creating local employment and

reducing oreign exchange expenditures on energy.

Other advantages include less environmental damage

rom uel spills, lower levels o air pollution, local control

over pricing and the existing amiliarity with the har-

vesting and processing o coconuts. Using a plant indig-

enous to the region ensures resistance to adverse local

conditions such as soil salinity and periodic droughts.

Pure coconut oil has been ound to work well as a re-placement or diesel uel with some types o engines

and not so well with others. Experiments in a number o

island countries indicate that adding up to about 15% o

properly ltered coconut oil to diesel uel has no obvi-

ous detrimental eect on the larger diesel engines used

or ships and power generation. Fiji now allows blend-

ing to 5% coconut oil with diesel uel to be sold without

restriction, as long as the customer is inormed that it is

a blend o coconut and diesel oils. Customers will need

time to gain condence in diesel-coconut oil blends, es-

Documents

Pacific Lighthouse Roadmapping