Remote communities in Oro and Central provinces will soon have access to clean, reliable electricity for healthcare and education, through a new solar mini-grid project led by the Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF) in partnership with the Australian Government called REnew Pacific.
REnew Pacific’s first PNG project will install solar mini-grids at the Sanananda Aid Post, which supports 7,000 patients a year across Oro province, and at the Mt Koiari Flexible Open and Distance Education (FODE) Centre along the Kokoda Track in Central Province. FODE is the first secondary school of its kind in the region with around 50 students enrolled.
These systems will power medical equipment, vaccine storage, classrooms, digital learning technologies and satellite internet, improving essential services in some of the country’s most remote off-grid areas.
REnew Pacific is investing PGK205 million (AUD75 million) in off-grid renewable energy for remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. The program complements Australia’s broader package of off-grid investments being undertaken in partnership with the PNG Government and rural and remote communities across PNG.
The projects at Sanananda Aid Post and Mt Koiari FODE Centre build on KTF’s successful pilot mini-grid at Kokoda College launched in early 2025, which improved outcomes for more than 200 students. This new project will scale the model, while supporting local employment and long-term sustainability through training in operations, maintenance, governance, and gender inclusion.
REnew Pacific responds directly to the Pacific’s call for urgent climate action, showcasing Australia’s climate leadership and partnership in tackling the region’s greatest shared challenge. It sits within the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership, a $350 million initiative delivered through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).
This announcement brings the Australian Government’s investment in off-grid renewable energy in Papua New Guinea to more than PGK80 million (AUD 33 million).
For more information, visit https://renewpacific.com.au.
ENDS.
Sanananda Aid Post in Oro Province.
For further information, including access to related materials, please contact the Australian High Commission media team: +675 7090 0100