On Pentecost Island, the sound of flowing rivers is increasingly correlating to the light of reliable, renewable electricity. After successfully completing works on the installation of pico-hydro stations in the communities of Waterfall, Melsisi and Larimaat under the first phase of the Vanuatu Green Transformation Project (VGET), the construction team has now moved north. Their destination: Nambwarangiut village, where work is set to begin on the fourth renewable energy station under VGET II, funded by the Government of Italy. 

For the group of engineers and technicians working on the project, the relocation marks both continuity and a new beginning. The same team that helped deliver electricity for the first time to 26 settlements in central Pentecost is now settling into one of the island’s most remote communities to build the next clean energy system.

Despite some progress in recent years, Vanuatu remains one of the least electrified countries in the Pacific. The 2023 Department of Energy data reveals that electricity access reaches 61,6 percent of the population—approximately 300,000 people— with a significant 83 percent of the rural population still lacking access to reliable electricity, where households often rely on small solar lanterns or costly fossil-fuel generators.

To close this gap and support the National Energy Road Map (NERM) target of 100 percent renewable electrification by 2030, the Government of Vanuatu and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are implementing a second phase of the VGET initiative.

With an investment of US$1 million from the Government of Italy, through the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, the second phase of VGET focuses on expanding clean energy access through a hybrid renewable system that combines pico-hydro and solar generation.

The system will combine:

• Pico-hydro generation: 3.49 kW
• Solar generation: 25 kWp
• Combined annual electricity production: 67,090 kWh

The hydropower system will harness water from a nearby stream through a 326-meter penstock, using three Pelton turbines designed for a gross head of 59 metres and a designed flow of 4.19 litres per second.

 The hybrid design is at the heart of the project’s long-term energy security strategy. By combining the continuous power generation of pico-hydropower with the daytime production of solar energy, the system creates a more resilient and reliable electricity supply for the community. During periods of lower river flow, solar generation will help maintain electricity production, while the hydropower system will continue to provide a stable source of energy beyond daylight hours. Together, these two renewable resources complement each other, reducing vulnerability to seasonal variations and ensuring a more consistent flow of electricity throughout the year. A 33 kWh battery storage system will further stabilize supply and enhance resilience, enabling a maximum available annual energy output of 79,135 kWh.

Electricity will reach homes and community facilities through approximately 10.05 kilometres of distribution network, delivering 147 prepaid connections, including: 122 households, nine businesses, and 16 institutions.