LocationsWalking the Path to Energy Transformation
December 8, 2025
When I travel to the field, it always feels like a journey across time. As the small plane takes off from Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila, it dips low across the islands of my country, before landing in Pentecost, a place that greets me with its endless green slopes, waterfalls, and the reverberating roar of the ocean.
Departing the airport work begins—by car, by quad, by truck, boat and sometimes even on foot, under the sun or rain and across steep and muddy trails. This August, the roads to Melsisi and Larimaat were especially unforgiving, made extra slippery by heavy rains, that made travel treacherous and slow to the worksites. Yet, those difficulties are overcome by purpose: each turn, each climb, each twist is another step towards bringing clean energy to these remote communities of Pentecost.
My role as project engineer is never just about construction—it is about the ultimate goal, the project´s impact, on the people who are working on it, the community, and preserving the fragile balance between development and the nature.
Duties in the Field
Every site visits begins with an inspection, sometimes together with government officials from the Department of Energy from the Ministry of Climate Change, Meteorology & Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management. At the three pico-hydro stations, begin constructed by UNDP, I verify ongoing works so that payments to contractors are fair and on time. I check that safety measures are followed, that environmental safeguards are respected, and that the rivers were harness for power continue to flow with the least possible disruption.
Often, challenges emerge—delays, disagreements, unexpected obstacles—and I find myself as much a mediator as an engineer, helping resolve grievances between workers, or clarifying issues with the contractor. This August, the community at Larimaat was requesting the constructor to share the project’s tractor and vehicle, that led to some miscommunication. After hearing both sides, the project agreed to share them.
This mission also stretched beyond the turbines and powerhouse walls. Together with VGET colleagues, I supported the Terminal Evaluation team, coordinated with the Vanuatu Institute of Technology on the upcoming Certificate 1 training for electricians, and joined meetings with the contractor to chart a path through the technical hurdles. Each of these tasks, though different, threads into the same vision: sustainable, clean, community-owned energy.
Listening to Communities, Walking with Youth
In the field, my responsibilities are not only technical. I always make time to sit with the communities, to hear their voices, and to share what this project means. Clean and sustainable energy is not just light in the night—it is a pathway to better healthcare, education, livelihood opportunities, and dignity for everyone.
Last time, I had the chance to accompany Suvimali Suraweera, our colleague with UNDP’s Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform, who is leading the Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Study. On 19 and 20 August, we traveled to the north —through Nambwaranuit, Loltong, Angoro, and beyond—listening to young people speak of their dreams, challenges, and the kind of future they want to build for themselves with the help of new power. For me, it was a reminder that energy is not only about wires and kilowatts, but about creating opportunities for youth, women, and families to thrive.
Nature’s Beauty and the Weight of Responsibility
Pentecost is breathtaking. The rivers rush through canyons carved deep into the earth, the forests rise like green colossus, and the sea stretches in endless shades of blue. Working on this project is a big responsibility, but also a privilege.
At night, when the day’s work is done, I sometimes sit quietly and imagine these valleys lit by clean hydropower, children studying under safe light, communities free from the burden of expensive fuel. This is the picture of resilience we are all striving for, the Government of Vanuatu, UNDP, and the Government of Japan – that is funding this project.
Toward 2030
The road is long and not without major obstacles, but the destination is bright. Vanuatu has set its National Energy Road Map: 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. Each inspection, each conversation with a community, each training session planned, is a step towards that goal.
For me, the field is never just work—it is a reminder that transformation is not built in offices alone, but on slippery mountain roads, on riverbanks, and in conversations under village trees. Pentecost teaches me patience, resilience, and its beauty captivates me, every time I return.
And when I get back on that flight to Port Vila, tired but fulfilled, I know I carry with me not just progress reports and technical notes, but stories of people and places that deserve the power we are working so hard to bring to the people of Pentecost. It is that proverbial bright light at the end of the tunnel.
Joel Galeb, Project Engineer | VGET Project | UNDP Pacific Office | (E) joel.galeb@undp.org
As engineer for the Vanuatu Green Transformation project, part of the regional Pacific Green Transformation Project, implemented by UNDP with funds by the Government of Japan.
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