31 October 2024: Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) is excited to announce the winners of its latest innovation funding round, marking a significant milestone in extending the programme’s impact to Pacific Island Countries. Following a competitive call for proposals, seven innovative companies across six Pacific Island Countries (PICs) – Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu – have been awarded grants of between £53,000 and £200,000 each, totalling £918,100.
This catalytic funding will support the development of productive use of renewable energy (PURE) enterprises, enabling communities to test and prove income-generating activities and drive sustainable and inclusive economic development.
The funding award was announced by Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs for the United Kingdon as part of a wider support package for Pacific Island Countries during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa. This support is part of theAyrton Fundfor clean energy innovation via theTransforming Energy Access (TEA) platform.
Supporting and scaling pivotal innovations in Pacific Island Countries
Pacific Island Countries face significant climate vulnerability due to rising sea levels, increasing storm intensity, and changing weather patterns, which threaten their ecosystems, economies, and livelihoods. These nations, often reliant on expensive imported fossil fuels, are particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, making energy affordability and security a critical issue.
This cohort of innovative, renewable energy businesses presents a crucial opportunity for the region, enabling PICs to harness local resources such as solar energy to drive forward green growth and a just energy transition. By moving to sustainable energy solutions, PICs can enhance resilience, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and create green jobs, ultimately fostering inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability in line with national plans and policies.
The seven companies selected to receive funding* will research and develop a range of solutions to harness renewable energy for productive uses. They include:
Fiji
SDG Changemakers will test the viability of using solar-powered processing units in the coconut value chain in Fiji, while developing the downstream market of processed coconut by-products. They will manufacture a fit-for-purpose mobile processing unit andsolar-powered dryers then test three business models with local farmers and communities including exchange, micro-financing and lease-to-own models.
Blackfrog Technologies will develop Emvólio, a patented rapid cooling technology for safe last-mile transport of vaccines, insulin, breast milk, bloodserums, medications and specimens with minimal thermal shock. Unlike conventional refrigerators, this technology is highly energy-efficient and stands to make a significant impact in the transportation of vital healthcare supplies.
Papua New Guinea
PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation aims to demonstrate the financial and technical viability of solar-powered cold chains in Papa New Guinea’s horticulture sector, with a focus on women as equal partners for empowerment and development.With this funding, they will deploy a solar generator, two solar-powered refrigeration systems and one solar-powered ice maker that will produce ice for post-harvest, protecting the integrity of produce.
Samoa
Sunshine Pacific will install a solar system to power a 16-acre commercial space for agri production, providing energy to an 8-acre hydroponics farm and an 8-acre poultry operation. This aims to demonstrate the financial and technical viability of the productive use of renewable energy solutions in agri-processing and will improve food security, create green jobs and support economic development.
Solomon Islands
Superfly designs solar systems for remote areas in hot climates aiming to address the low electrification rate (25%) across the Solomon Islands. Superfly will distribute 100 Koolboks 208 litre solar-powered freezers on a PAYGO basis to rural fisheries and canteens across nine provinces in the Solomon Islands. The project will test whether PAYGO financing of improved cold chains between islands can viably boost returns for farming and fishing, attracting further investment and replication.
Tonga
Motu Juice is testing innovative off-grid portable mini-factories powered by solar energy and biomass boilers. The project involves testing a factory capable of producing 260,000 litres of coconut milk annually. Coconut milk is a staple in Tongan cuisine, but the country currently relies entirely on imports resulting in higher prices. Operating on a franchise model, Motu Juice will support local management to use their mini-factories to produce viable domestic supplies, which also expect to enhance disaster response, boost local employment, and foster community growth and skill development.
Vanuatu
Vanwods was established as a network dedicated to eradicating poverty by empowering women in rural villages with the opportunity to start, grow and maintain sustainable, income-generating micro-enterprises. With PREO support, the company will provide subsidised solar appliances – such as solar-powered deep freezers, sewing machines, and water pumps – to women-led micro, small, and medium businesses in the northern islands of Vanuatu – improving livelihoods through harnessing solar energy solutions for income generation.
Angus Vantoch-Wood, PREO Programme Director at the Carbon Trust, commented: “This expansion represents PREO’s first move beyond sub-Saharan Africa, bringing its mission to foster renewable energy-driven economic growth to the Pacific region. By showcasing the viability of innovative business models, PREO is driving productive demand for renewable energy, unlocking economic opportunities while strengthening climate resilience in some of the regions most impacted by climate change.”
This phase of PREO funding supports a broader mission to promote climate resilience, economic growth, and job creation. By strategically supporting innovative companies with catalytic grant funding and technical assistance, PREO helps scale impactful projects, enabling businesses to adopt clean energy technologies, improve livelihoods, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
PREO also receives funding from the IKEA Foundation, alongside theUK government and is managed in partnership with the Carbon Trust and Mercy Corps-Energy 4 Impact. Since its inception in 2019, the programme has awarded £8.9m to 54 SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific Island Countries.
