Nauru solar expansion plan
At a glance
With a surface area of just 21km2, and a population of around 13,000 people, Nauru is the world's smallest island nation. Currently, Nauru relies on imported diesel fuel for energy, which is costly, vulnerable to market changes, and has significant environmental impacts.
The challenge
GHD is supporting the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Nauru to reduce the country's reliance on diesel, by sourcing nearly 50 percent of the country's energy from renewable sources.
In 2018, the ADB and the Government of Nauru rolled out an Energy Road Map, which identified solar power as Nauru's most economical renewable energy option.
Our response
Together, GHD teams New Zealand, the Philippines, Australia, and the UK, with support from local team members in Nauru, have prepared a Solar Expansion Plan and Feasibility Study for a grid-connected solar power plant and a battery energy storage system.
The plant will also enable local people to develop the technical skills necessary to operate and maintain the planned facilities independently, without the need for support from foreign staff or companies.
"Solar will help provide energy security, vital to Nauru's social and economic development. It also puts the 'power' back in the hands of the local community, empowering local people, including women and vulnerable groups, to run and manage the plant's day-to-day operations."
"This project significantly reduces Nauru's sovereign risk"