As PFAN’s newest region, the Pacific Islands PFAN network continued to grow in 2021, and its first two projects have begun the PFAN Journey.
PFAN ramped up project origination activities in conjunction with the Fiji Development Bank (FDB) and the Fiji Rural Electrification Fund (FREF) towards the end of 2021, as Fiji emerged from its Covid-19 lockdown. We continued to build up our network of investment and network partners in the region, establishing a new partnership with the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF).
PFAN has recruited a Country Coordinator to oversee the Soloman Islands and Tonga, however, outbreaks towards the end of 2021 have contributed to slowed progress with government-led energy programs that PFAN is initially targeting to assist in these countries.
In the second half of the year, PFAN was awarded a Design Funding grant by Convergence and funded by DFAT to design a results-based financing (RBF) vehicle. The Fiji Outer Island Project is intended to increase energy access for communities in the Fiji Outer Islands, starting with Koro, Gau, Kadavu and extending to other islands to advance to 100% electrification in due course.
The rationale is to establish new solar powered mini- and micro-grids and to deploy renewable energy technologies into existing village systems (where they already exist), replacing diesel gensets with solar, extending the grids and using solar home system (SHS) solutions where mini-grid connections are unviable to extend coverage to 100%. The activities which will be executed together with FREF are expected to start at the beginning of the second quarter of 2022 and will mark a new stage in the partnership.
Pacific Islands in 2021
Total Advisors
4
New partnerships established
1
Total number of projects supported by country
Technology area of new projects in the pipeline
Meet our Network in the Pacific Islands
PFAN Advisor - Savenaca Seniloli
Savenaca Seniloli has more than 28 years of experience in managing and providing advice in agricultural production, expansion and improvement; food processing; timber milling; commercial technical cleaning and waste & water treatment; beverage production; manufacturing industries which include primary & secondary packaging, hazardous chemicals and garment. He is well-versed with business obligations in terms of statutory requirements, compliance and stakeholder management in all the industries he has been involved in.
Currently, he is involved as a PFAN Advisor in the Pacific region, covering Fiji. The primary role is to come alongside the project entrepreneur and comb through their project case before presenting it to financial institutions and potential investors. Fiji’s geographical location gives us unique challenges. He is very appreciative of this role as projects are addressing climate change impacts and clean energy.
Regional Coordinator – David Eyre
David has worked for over 25 years in business that has had an underlying theme in deployment and operation of technology for commercial growth in a Pacific context. He has experience in Telecommunications (E-Payment, ISP and Online Web Services), Broadcast TV and recently Energy Access (Rural Electrification) and Green Finance sectors.
With specific roles in leadership, business development, technology operations management and project coordination, he sees this experience as a key in understanding how to help Pacific businesses accelerate their adoption of green technologies and practices in the fight against climate change.
New Partners in 2021
Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, Fiji
Industry association
The Fiji Employers Consultative Association (FECA)’s mission is to provide the employers of Fiji with the knowledge, understanding and capability to maintain the best possible labour relations while seeking to grow their businesses and the economy by encouraging the government to provide the environment for the private sector to prosper.
