Pacific ministers to visit Vanuatu’s biggest solar farm project today

April 13, 2026 10:39 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Anita Roberts.

Ministers from the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) attending the dialogue on global just transition in Port Vila will visit Vanuatu’s biggest solar farm project on Efate today for its commissioning.

Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Ralph Regenvanu, will host the ministers for the excursion to the Kawene Solar Farm project site. Prime Minister (PM) Jotham Napat is expected to be part of the visit.

UNELCO General Manager, Frédéric Petit, will brief the ministers about the project, its future plans, and outlook.

Ministers from Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are attending the dialogue, with the Marshall Islands represented at ambassador level and Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Tonga at official level. Deliberations began yesterday.

The PSIDS Ministerial Dialogue aims to consolidate a unified Pacific position on fossil fuel phase out and just transition principles, shared priorities, and expectations ahead of the first international conference on fossil fuel transition to be held in Santa Marta, Colombia, at the end of this month.

The ministers will be equipped with updated scientific, financial, legal, and technical analysis. The dialogue will also review developments relating to the proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty and its emerging diplomatic pathway.

While the ministers are visiting the solar farm, PSIDS senior officials will convene in a workshop to address the technical foundations underpinning preparations for the Santa Marta conference.

The workshop will provide updates on progress toward a Fossil Fuel Treaty, the evolving diplomatic track, and next steps in operationalising the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change and Human Rights.

Senior officials will also be briefed on outcomes from the Senior Officials Meeting held alongside the Pre-COP30 Meeting in Brazil last year and the Ministerial Caucus held at COP30 in Belém.

They will also identify strategic priorities for 2026 and align with upcoming regional and global processes, including the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Palau, Pre-COP31 in Fiji and Tuvalu, COP31 in Türkiye, and other related priority meetings.