LocationsFrom Yadrana and Kioa to Yacata and Vio, communities are moving closer to cleaner, more reliable electricity.
Illuminating Maritime Islands in Fiji: The Fiji Rural Electrification Fund (FREF) rollout
June 24, 2026
An aerial view of Kioa Island, where the Fiji Rural Electrification Fund is helping expand access to clean, reliable energy while strengthening livelihoods, improving daily life, and building community resilience.
UNDP
For many rural and maritime communities in Fiji, reliable electricity is not just about lighting homes. It is about children being able to study at night, health centres and community facilities having dependable power, fishers and farmers being able to add value to their products, women having safer and more productive working conditions, and communities being better prepared for disasters.
For families like Tevita Delaivuna and Sereima Ratukabu on Vio Island, reliable electricity is also helping support small businesses and future aspirations. The couple operate a small canteen from their home and, before improved electricity access, relied on kerosene lamps and even a diving torch to cook and serve customers after dark. Today, better lighting has made their business safer and more efficient, helping them serve more customers and plan for future expansion.
Through their story, this Vio Island couple highlighted the human impact of energy access — helping families improve daily living, support livelihoods, and plan with greater confidence.
UNDP
This is the purpose of the Fiji Rural Electrification Fund, or FREF.
FREF is helping Fiji deliver clean, affordable, and reliable renewable energy to rural and maritime communities through solar mini-grids, battery storage, underground cabling, smart meters, and remote monitoring systems. The programme is designed not only to provide electricity, but to support stronger local economies, better services, and more climate-resilient communities.
FREF’s first three Stage 1 sites are Yadrana Village on Lakeba Island, Salia Village on Kioa Island, and Yacata Village on Yacata Island. Together, these three sites will support 1,031 people, 249 households, and 286 buildings through new solar mini-grid systems.
House wiring works in Yadra Village mark an important step toward safe and reliable electricity access, helping families prepare their homes to benefit from clean energy, improved lighting, and better daily living conditions.
UNDP
In Yadrana Village on Lakeba Island, the proposed 78.4 kW solar mini-grid will support 350 people, 78 households, and 4 buildings. The community’s main income sources are fishing and tourism, and reliable electricity is expected to support household needs, small businesses, tourism-related services, refrigeration, food storage, and improved community services. Based on an indicative estimate, the system could abate approximately 88 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by reducing reliance on diesel-based electricity generation.
An aerial view of Yadrana, highlighting the unique geography of Fiji’s maritime communities and the importance of clean, reliable energy in supporting households, livelihoods, and long-term community resilience.
UNDP
Voivoi prepared at a village home highlights the important role of traditional mat weaving in supporting livelihoods, household income, women’s enterprise, and community-based business creation, with reliable electricity helping families improve lighting, extend productive hours, preserve materials, use small equipment, and strengthen opportunities for local value-added products.
UNDP
Children in Yadrana reflect the future of the community, where fishing remains an important source of food, livelihood, and cultural identity, and where reliable electricity can help strengthen household wellbeing, education, and local economic opportunities.
UNDP
In Salia Village on Kioa Island, the proposed 118 kW solar mini-grid will support 411 people, 110 households, and 26 public buildings. This is the largest of the three Stage 1 systems and will support a community where fishing and tourism are key income sources. The mini-grid is expected to improve household energy access, support cold storage and value addition for fisheries, strengthen tourism-related livelihoods, and provide more reliable power for community facilities. Based on an indicative estimate, the system could abate approximately 132 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.
Construction activities in Kioa Island demonstrate steady progress toward delivering clean, reliable energy infrastructure, with local participation helping to strengthen community ownership, implementation readiness, and long-term sustainability.
UNDP
Despite the logistical challenges of transporting heavy solar mini-grid materials to Kioa Island, the unloading by barge reflects the strong coordination, community effort, and commitment required to energise remote maritime communities with clean, reliable, and sustainable electricity.
UNDP
Community members in Kioa work together to unload project materials on the island, demonstrating strong local partnership, ownership, and shared commitment to supporting the delivery of clean, reliable energy infrastructure.
UNDP
Construction in Kioa is advancing steadily, with project teams and the community working closely to meet agreed timelines and ensure the successful completion of clean, reliable, and sustainable electricity infrastructure for the island.
UNDP
In Yacata Village on Yacata Island, the proposed 78.4 kW solar mini-grid will support 270 people, 61 households, and 7 buildings. Fishing is the main income source for the community, and the solar mini-grid will help improve basic household energy access while also supporting refrigeration, ice-making, fish storage, communications, and other services that can strengthen local livelihoods. Based on an indicative estimate, the system could abate approximately 88 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.
Solar construction materials are loaded from Viti Levu for shipment to Yacata Island, with the contractor and local community members working together to support the delivery of clean, reliable energy for the island.
UNDP
A newly installed meter and household wiring in Yacata marks an important step toward safe, reliable electricity access, helping families connect to clean energy and improve daily life at home.
UNDP
Community engagement in Yacata during the pre-construction phase is critical to building strong partnerships, strengthening local ownership, and ensuring that the delivery of clean, reliable energy reflects the needs, priorities, and aspirations of the community.
UNDP
Across the three Stage 1 sites, the proposed combined solar capacity is approximately 274.8 kW. Using indicative assumptions, these systems could collectively abate around 308 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, while also reducing fuel dependence, lowering exposure to diesel price volatility, and improving the reliability of electricity access in remote island communities.
While new solar mini-grids are being rolled out across Fiji’s maritime islands, Vio Island is demonstrating how clean energy can be integrated with broader community resilience and development outcomes.
The impact of improved electricity access is already being felt by families like Tevita and Sereima. Running a small 24-hour canteen from their home, the couple previously relied on kerosene lamps and a diving torch to prepare food and serve customers after sunset. Today, reliable lighting has made their business safer and more productive, helping increase household income and creating new opportunities for growth.
For families like theirs, reliable electricity is more than convenience; it is also the foundation for resilience, opportunity, and future plans.
In parallel, FREF is also advancing the upgrade of the Vio Island solar mini-grid, Fiji’s first solar mini-grid site and the first FREF pilot site. Vio Island is demonstrating an integrated development approach, where clean energy investment is being aligned with disaster resilience and community infrastructure. The community evacuation centre has been upgraded to Category 5 cyclone standards, and the solar PV expansion is now being designed so that panels can be mounted on the roof of the evacuation centre. This means the same community asset can support safety during disasters, provide resilient public infrastructure, and contribute to clean energy generation for the island.
An aerial perspective of Vio Island, capturing the community landscape that will benefit from improved electricity access, stronger local resilience, and sustainable energy investment.
UNDP
Community members and partners celebrate the launch of the Vio Island Evacuation Centre and Solar Mini-Grid Upgrade, strengthening climate resilience and renewable energy access.
UNDP
Solar panels installed at Vio Island stand alongside the newly built and commissioned evacuation centre, reflecting an integrated approach to island development that strengthens clean energy access, community safety, climate resilience, and long-term wellbeing.
UNDP
The next phase of FREF is expected to support three additional rural and maritime communities, subject to the necessary approvals. Ideally, these sites will be aggregated on a single island to improve delivery efficiency and value for money. This approach is important because rural and maritime electrification can be costly and logistically complex, especially where materials, contractors, equipment, and technical teams must be transported over long distances. By grouping sites on one island, FREF can reduce mobilisation costs, make better use of contractor time and equipment, simplify implementation logistics, and create stronger opportunities for shared operations, maintenance, training, and local support systems.
FREF is powering Fiji’s remote islands with clean solar mini-grids, improving daily life, supporting livelihoods, reducing diesel reliance, and building climate-resilient communities across Salia, Yadrana, and Yacata.
UNDP
To date, FREF has completed pre-feasibility assessments for 75 communities and detailed feasibility and tender design work for 22 priority sites. This provides a strong foundation for a phased national rollout, with the long-term aim of supporting clean electricity access across 399 rural and maritime communities in Fiji.
As Fiji expands renewable energy access across its rural and maritime communities, FREF is demonstrating how clean energy can do more than power homes. It can strengthen livelihoods, improve essential services, support local businesses, build resilience to disasters, and create new opportunities for future generations.
For families like Tevita and Sereima on Vio Island, reliable electricity means more than keeping the lights on. It means safer homes, stronger livelihoods, greater opportunity, and the confidence to plan for tomorrow.
The FREF is housed within the Department of Energy and supported by UNDP as part of a broader partnership to expand renewable energy access across rural and maritime Fiji. Appreciation is extended to the Government of Fiji, the Government of Australia, the Government of New Zealand, the Government of the United Kingdom, and all partners and communities contributing to the success of FREF.
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