
PORT VILA, 23rd January 2020 – The Government of Vanuatu has signed the contract for the construction of the Brenwe Hydro plant under the Vanuatu Energy Access Project (VEAP) with the New Zealand joint venture, MAPs/Vortex.
Following the signing – conducted on Tuesday 21st of January, hours before the Vanuatu parliament was dissolved, the company promised to deliver the project within schedule.

The Department of Energy through BRANTV project funded by GEF/UNDP organizes a first ever training in Vanuatu on the Designs and Installations of Pico Micro Hydro systems. Training is delivered by a Consultant, Dr. Christoph Schroeder from Germany. Dr. Schroeder has wealth of experience in designs and installing of the same systems in other countries and has acquired his Ph.D., from Stuttgart University, Germany, Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems (2018), on “Large-scale Pico Hydropower Potential Assessment”. He has involved in field works in China, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Sri Lanka.

21 trainers from Rural Training Centres in the provinces and local electricians who have attended the SEIAPI PV Solar training are now equipped with standard skills to be able to design and install a larger solar system in their communities. After three long weeks of high-level training of both theory and practical components of the workshop, it ended on a high note that the skills acquired must be used and transfer knowledge in their local context. In his closing remarks, the Director of Energy Antony Garae stated that this was the first time initiative for the department and BRANTV project to provide a high level training for local technicians and trainers from Rural Training Centres.

The Ministry of Climate Change, in partnership with UNDP and Power-Blox AG, an award-winning Swiss company providing automated and decentralized electricity solutions, has successfully completed the first phase of a feasibility study for powering Lelepa island in Shefa province.

About 21 trainees of Level 4 – Train the Trainers training on design and installation of Photovoltaic (PV) Solar system have successfully carried out a demo installation of a Community-Scale PV Solar system at Utanglangi village on the island of Nguna on November 1st, 2019.
- National Green Energy Fund (NGEF or Fund) Signs MOU with the Office of the Registrar of Cooperatives and Business Development Services
- BRANTV Project launches its Train-the-Trainers Workshop for Solar Photovoltaic Technicians in Vanuatu
- National Energy Road Map 2016-2030 Implementation Plan (NERM-IP) launched
- Vanuatu attends Resilience and Sustainable Development workshop