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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) joined the Government of Vanuatu and the Santo Community in celebrating the commissioning of the Santo transmission line, a crucial component of the ADB-supported Vanuatu Energy Access Project (VEAP). The ceremony featured a ribbon-cutting and plaque unveiling led by Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology and Geohazards and Disaster Management, Ralph Regenvanu.
ADB Senior Country Officer Nancy Wells lauded the Government of Vanuatu for its efforts, stating, “The Government of Vanuatu must be congratulated for successfully implementing this project which is powering the unpowered. This latest milestone will bring Vanuatu closer to its target of 100% grid-based renewable electrification by 2030.”
Minister Regenvanu emphasized the project’s impact, saying, “This transformational project will help deliver clean, reliable, affordable electricity supply to previously unpowered areas. As more households are connected, sustainable power will be delivered to residents and businesses on the island, spurring economic activity.”
The completed 45 kilometers of new transmission and distribution lines from Turtle Bay to Port Olry in Santo mark the second major achievement under VEAP. The first component involved the construction of the 400-kilowatt Brenwe hydropower plant and approximately 40 kilometers of transmission and distribution lines in Malekula, which now supplies renewable energy to local communities.
Looking ahead, VEAP aims to implement additional low-voltage lines in Santo and Malekula, connecting more households in need of energy. The project also includes business skills training for newly connected households in these areas, empowering them to utilize electricity for livelihood and income-generating activities.
The VEAP project represents a total investment of around $22.3 million, with approximately $18 million financed by the Asian Development Bank, including $8.5 million from ADB’s Asian Development Fund (ADF). The ADF provides grants to ADB’s poorest and most vulnerable member countries, replenished every four years by donor countries.
Established in 1966, ADB remains committed to fostering a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while continuing efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. The bank is owned by 68 members, with 49 from the region. |
