News

“Guadalcanal’s rivers are a vital ecological and cultural resource. Protecting them today means securing sustainable development for the future.”Resources Department from the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, and the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening.Chaired by Dr David Annandale, the session underscored the importance of integrating sustainable river management practices to mitigate the ecological impacts of hydropower dams and other developments affecting river basins, such as mining and agriculture.Participants engaged in discussions on strategic environmental planning, focusing on long-term conservation, policy development, and scientific advancements in river ecosystem assessments. A key highlight was an in-depth review of …

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Honiara, 28 January 2024 – The Tina River Hydropower Project has achieved a major milestone, with construction now 23% complete as of January 2025. This progress marks a significant step toward delivering affordable, clean, and renewable energy for the Solomon Islands. As one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects, Tina River Hydropower remains on track for completion and commercial operation in early 2028.Once operational, the 15-megawatt hydropower facility will supply nearly 70% of Honiara’s electricity needs with renewable energy, significantly reducing reliance on costly diesel generation and lowering power prices.On 28 January 2025, the Tina Hydro Project Office’s Environmental and …

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Honiara, Solomon Islands – January 30, 2025 – Biodiversity conservation efforts in the Upper Tina Catchment have received a significant boost following a high-level meeting between representatives of the Tina River Hydropower Project Office (TRHPO) and Guadalcanal Premier Hon. Willie Atu, alongside Provincial Secretary Mr. Maesac Suia. The discussions emphasized the government’s commitment to sustainable development while ensuring the protection of critical biodiversity in the region through necessary steps for the declaration of protected areas. The meeting, held earlier last week, highlighted the importance of balancing environmental conservation with construction and economic progress as the Tina River Hydropower Project moves steadily …

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The fourth quarterly meeting for the Gender Steering Committee (GSC) was conducted on December 6th and attended by the Environment and Social Safeguards team members from Tina Hydropower Limited (THL), Hyundai Engineering Co. (HEC), Tina River Hydropower Development Project Office (TRHDP), Community Benefits Sharing Project (CBSP-2) and Solomon Power. A brief presentation on the implementation and progress of the Gender Action Plan (GAP) was given by the Project Office Community Liaison Officer-Gender Focal Point (CLO-GFP) highlighting of several activities implemented in 2024. These included the introductory session and training on sexual, exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH), social media marketing training, …

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The quarterly meeting of the Influx Steering Committee was held on December 16th and attended by the Environment and Social Safeguards team members from Tina Hydropower Limited (THL), Hyundai Engineering Co. (HEC), Project Office, and Community Benefits Sharing Project-2 team. The Community Liaison Officer- Land from the Project Office provided a brief overview of the Influx Management Plan implementation and progress, emphasizing several influx-related challenges encountered in the past. Project Manager, Mr. Pradip highlighted key influx issues related to Tina Hydropower Project, including concerns regarding potential encroachment, and proposed viable solutions to ensure the sustainability of construction activities for the …

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Tina River Hydropower Development Project: Representatives from the World Bank (Renee Berthome, Task Team Leader; Khine Wynn, Environmental Specialist; Marista Kapini, Social Development Specialist; Sam Ziokera, IT Specialist) conducted a site visit to the Tina River Hydropower Development Project on 4 December, reaffirming their commitment to ensuring compliance with safety standards and environmental protocols. The visit, part of the Project Office’s weekly site inspections, brought together members of the Project Office team, including Mandus Boselalu (E&S Officer), Baltazare Rongo (CLO), Joel Zole (CLO), Sahibzada (new ESSM), and Daniel Tuhanuku (new Environmental and Social Coordinator). Representatives from Tina Hydropower Limited (THL), including …

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December 17, 2024, Central Guadalcanal – Votes have been counted and winners announced in a historic day that saw over 2,000 eligible community members from the Malango and Bahomea regions turn up to cast ballots in the Community Benefits Sharing (CBS) Fund election held on Thursday, 12 December 2024. The day of polling at the World Outreach Christian Centre in Lungga, was held to form a Board of Trustees (BoT) and Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Bahomea and Malango Community Benefit Sharing Trust Association, signifying a positive move towards an inclusive and fair benefit sharing program for Tina River Hydropower …

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November 28, 2024, Central Guadalcanal – The Bahomea and Malango Community Benefit Sharing Trust Association has finalised registrations and nominations for the upcoming elections for the Board of Trustees (BoT) and Community Advisory Committee (CAC) with 2500 members registered to vote. People from over 70 Tina catchment communities are set to elect 4 Board of Trustees and 14 Community Advisory Committee members via ballot on 12 December 2024. The Community Benefit Sharing (CBS) Fund will provide collective, non-cash benefits to core landowners and the wider project host communities to promote sustainable development, enhance socio-economic conditions, and encourage active community participation. The Fund, …

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November 20, 2024, Central Guadalcanal – The Literacy and Numeracy Training Program under the Tina River Hydropower Community Benefit Sharing Project (CBSP) has successfully graduated its first group of participants, marking a significant milestone in the initiative’s journey. Ten women from the communities of Valekocha in Bahomea and Pamphylia in Malango completed the six-week program, setting the stage for broader community development.The training, conducted in partnership with the Literacy Association of Solomon Islands (LASI), aims to equip participants with foundational literacy and numeracy skills, including basic reading and writing in Solomon Islands Pidjin and essential arithmetic. As part of CBSP Phase …

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November 4, 2024, Central Guadalcanal – Tina Hydropower Limited, Project Company for the Tina River Hydropower Development Project, have hosted a ceremony at site to mark the much-anticipated commencement of the main works, including the dam and powerhouse. High level dignitaries from the Solomon Islands Government attended the November 4 celebrations, as well as Korean Government officials, senior representatives from K-water, community members and tribal leaders and representatives from project’s financiers and partners. The event opened with a traditional dance performance by local children, women and men from the Tina catchment communities followed by a progress report on current construction activities delivered by …

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October 29, 2024, Central Guadalcanal – The Tina River Hydropower Development Project is making quick progress as construction reaches the dam, marking a crucial phase in the project timeline.  Final earthworks are being completed on the access road at Lot 2-2 which consists of 2.7 kms of winding road leading to the dam across challenging terrain. With earthworks in full swing, the construction of the cofferdam and diversion culvert has commenced, and river diversion work is scheduled for early of 2025. Visuals of the site shows extensive slope cutting activities with a total of 550,000 cubic metres of soil excavated allowing for the road from …

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October 18, 2024 – Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands – Women from communities in the Tina River Hydropower Development catchment came together to mark International Day of Rural Women (IDRW) and World Food Day (WFD) this week on October 15 and 16, with a celebratory event at the Garivera Nature Park. People from the Mbahomea, Malatoha and Belaha communities took part in a variety of cultural and educational activities which was supported by the Gender Action Plan (GAP) program team from the Tina Project Office.This year’s theme for International Day of Rural Women, “Rural Women Confront the Global Cost of Living Crisis” …

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3 October 2024, Honiara, Solomon Islands – The Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) have launched phase 2 of the Community Benefit Sharing Project (CBSP), a critical initiative supporting the Tina River Hydropower Development Project. The launch event took place at the Mendana Hotel in Honiara on Monday 30th, with the Permanent Secretary for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification Dr Christopher Vehe and Ingo Wiederhofer, Practice Manager for East Asia and Pacific Social Sustainability and Inclusion from the World Bank leading the program.Over 50 people attended with representatives from the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, Ministry …

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July 15, 2024, Central Guadalcanal – The Community Benefit Sharing Project — Phase 2 (CBSP-2) has engaged the Literacy Association of Solomon Islands (LASI) to deliver training to the Bahomea and Malango communities as part of the Project’s literacy and numeracy development program for 2024-2025. The program is the first deliverable to be actioned under CBSP-2 Component 3 – Enhance Knowledge and Skills of Community Members – which focuses on empowering community members through training and employment support activities. This component will promote skills development and increase income generation opportunities among Tina River communities.Under this contract, LASI will offer basic reading, …

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July 5, 2024, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands – The World Bank Country Director for Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, Mr Stephen Ndegwa, visited the Tina River Hydropower Development Project site in central Guadalcanal this week to view the progress made on the project since his previous visit in late 2023.Accompanied by Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) Mr Chris Vehe, the World Bank Resident Representative for Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, Ms Annette Leith, and the Tina River Project Office staff, the visit to the 15 MW renewable energy project provided an opportunity to …

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June 5, 2024, Guadalcanal – The Tina River Hydropower Development Project Office, in collaboration with Solomon Power, has delivered specialist training on Electricity and Safety aimed at equipping women and men in Tina catchment communities. Under the Gender Action Plan (GAP) program, the ‘train the trainer’ program will take place over three (3) days from June 4-6 and will be facilitated by Health and Safety experts from Solomon Power. First day of training will be held in Belaha and will continue in Mataruka on the second day and, Mbahomea on Thursday. The primary purpose of this 3-day program is to …

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Honiara, Solomon Islands – May 31, 2024 – The Community Benefit Sharing Project – Phase 2 (CBSP-2), an innovative benefit sharing initiative in support of the Tina River Hydropower Development Project (TRHDP), is starting implementation on the ground. Building on the success of the Community Benefit Sharing Pilot Project which ran between 2018-2023, CBSP-2 will continue to target the Malango and Bahomea communities downstream of the hydropower facility. Overall, the program will positively impact over 7,000 residents in 80+ communities, benefitting an estimated 5,000 people directly.The new Project will see a robust benefit sharing scheme established between the Solomon Islands Government, …

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Honiara, 28 March 2024 – The Tina River Hydropower Development Project has a new Project Manager with the appointment of former Solomon Power CEO, Pradip Verma. With over 25 years of professional project management experience in large infrastructure projects, Pradip brings a wealth of expertise to the team and is looking forward to leading the transformational project through its construction phase. The Tina River Hydropower Development Project is the first large utility-scale renewable energy project for the Solomon Islands delivering benefits such as more affordable electricity and improved accessibility to cleaner, more reliable energy sources for communities now and in the future.  Mr Verma …

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