Energy Storage Systems for Cook Islands in the Pacific

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved funding to support a proposed Asian Development Bank (ADB) program that will assist seven Pacific island countries to transition to a renewable energy future. The proposed Pacific Islands Renewable Energy Investment Program will assist Cook Islands, Tonga, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federate States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, and Samoa move away from diesel power generation and towards solar, hydropower, and wind energy.

The GCF board approved an initial $12 million grant for Cook Islands to install energy storage systems and support private sector investment in renewable energy. This investment will see renewable energy generation on the main island of Rarotonga increase from 15% to more than 50% of overall supply. The GCF Board also approved a $5 million capacity building and sector reform grant to develop energy plans, build skills, implement tariff and regulatory reforms, and foster greater private sector participation in the energy sector.

The proposed program is anticipated to develop feasibility studies through ADB financing that will be proposed to the GCF for renewable energy projects worth over $400 million in the remaining six countries. The program is expected to support 22 solar power plants, 5 wind farms, 8 hydropower plants, 7 energy storage facilities, and 25 renewable energy mini-grids. The investments will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 120,000 ton of carbon dioxide equivalent per annum.