South Tarawa Photovoltaic Panels

The Oceania located nation of Kiribati has started construction on the country's largest solar PV project that's backed by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of New Zealand. It will be accompanied by a battery energy storage system (BESS). The 7.5 MW South Tarawa Renewable Energy Project (STREP) is located on the Bonriki water reserve.

Grid-connected electricity in South Tarawa is generated and distributed by the state-owned Public Utilities Board (PUB), established under the Public Utilities Ordinance (1977, and further amended in 2000). The PUB's mission is to commercially provide and maintain quality, reliable electricity, water, and sewerage disposal services to Tarawa.

Of the 6,825 households in South Tarawa, 72.4% have access to grid electricity, mainly for lighting. Around 20%–25% of households are headed by women. 10.

Supported by the bank and co-financed by the Kiwi government, the project's solar and BESS components were procured under the ADB's South Tarawa Water Supply Project co-financed by the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund.

The proposed project will initiate and contribute to the transformation of the Kiribati energy sector to one that is low-carbon and adapted to growing climate and natural hazards. It will do this by installing the innovative, climate-adapted and efficient floating PV (FPV) for power generation and for services and benefits beyond electricity.

Over the last two decades, Tarawa has become particularly vulnerable to climate hazards, with longer and more intense dry periods, more regular flooding, sea level rise (SLR), extreme weather events, higher temperatures, and storm surges.