Project Development

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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Tina Hydropower Limited (THL) has engaged Mr. Hyung Joon Jun as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to oversee the financial arrangements for the Tina River Hydropower Development Project construction phase with the pending completion of the access roads and commencement of the hydropower facility. He takes over from previous CFO, Mr Byung Moo Hwang who now resides as the New Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at THL. With a background in global infrastructure projects and financial advisory services, Mr. Hyung Joon Jun joins the THL leadership team with a wealth of experience and passion for developing global infrastructure businesses.Mr. Hyung …

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KGA Collaborates with Tina River Hydropower Project to Empower Local CommunitiesHoniara, 15 May 2024 – The 15MW renewable energy project continues to provide business opportunities for local companies such as Honiara based Kastom Gaden Association (KGA), who recently worked alongside the Gender Action Plan (GAP) Program team to train local catchment communities in agricultural practices.  KGA has been at the forefront of supporting rural self-reliance since its establishment in 1995 and is the latest locally based company to benefit from the renewable energy project in the Solomon Islands.As a leading provider of farming training and support services, Kastom Gaden Association …

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The Gender Action Plan (GAP) program has again delivered another successful agriculture training program in Ngongoti, Mbahomea, aimed at enhancing sustainable farming practices and promoting gender equality in agriculture. The training, held from 8th to 11th April, brought together a total of 31 enthusiastic participants from various Tina River catchment communities such as Mbahomea, Malatoha/Malango, and Belaha.  The attendees, comprising 25 women and 6 men, engaged in a four-day intensive program facilitated by Kastom Gaden Association (KGA) technical experts. The primary objectives of the training were to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to transition from slash-and-burn methods to organic …

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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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More capacity building training for women, youth and men of the Project catchment area was delivered by the Tina River Hydropower Development Project (TRHDP) under the Gender Action Plan (GAP) last week in the form of a social media and marketing training course.  The 3-day event was held at Verabariki and Ngongoti community hall in Bahomea with over 50 participants in attendance, 90% of which were women and girls, many of whom run small community-based businesses.    The social media and marketing training focused on teaching various techniques for small business owners to better present their products and services, handle promotions and how …

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Following its participation in the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28), the Solomon Islands Government, through the Tina River Hydropower Development Project’s (TRHDP) lead ministry, Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) have reiterated its unwavering commitment towards a better management of the Tina River Upper Catchment with the objectives of preserving the rich biodiversity of the area. This commitment includes seeking climate adaptation funding through the newly launched FATEI financing platform, by emphasising the importance of enhancing environmental and indigenous intactness. The Tina River Hydropower Development Project, a significant climate change infrastructure initiative, aims to …

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The Tina River Hydropower Development Project’s investment in and support of local businesses during the preparation and construction phases of the project continue to have far-reaching positive effects. For Solomon Sheet Steel, a family-owned business and a prominent building materials supplier and manufacturer in the Solomon Islands for over 40 years, the partnership with the national project has allowed to business to again prosper after a difficult few years impacted by the effects of the global pandemic.  Currently employing approximately 400 workers, this multi-faceted company specializing in steel, cement, and building materials has been able to expand its workforce due to …

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Bali, Indonesia 08 November – Delegates representing over 43 countries and more than 300 companies arrived in Bali, Indonesia last week for the World Hydropower Congress 2023 with the Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Rural Electrification (MMERE) invited to represent the Solomon Islands Government. Permanent Secretary Chris Vehe took the stage to share the Solomon Islands journey to renewable energy through the Tina River Hydropower Development Project and discussed how to transform climate ambition into action.  As a recognised leader in the field of sustainable energy, Mr. Vehe participated as a panellist, sharing his expertise and insights on the pivotal role of …

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Water Level and Flow Monitoring at the Tina River reservoir site has been successfully completed by EPC contractors, Hyundai Engineering Company (HEC) after the team, led by HEC Senior Design Engineer Mr. Oh Myung Hwan, camped down at the dam site over a weeklong period.  They were tasked to conduct hydrology collection and monitoring to validate the data captured by the transmitters which were installed several months ago and sample the river water, which happens at regular intervals, to carry out suspended sediment analysis at the HEC Laboratory.  HEC Specialist Titus Siapu collecting data Supporting Mr Oh Myung Hwan was Titus …

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On October 15, International Day of Rural Women is being recognised around the world bringing attention to the unique challenges faced by women in rural communities.  Issues such as limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities are widespread and are often compounded by environmental and cultural factors that can prevent rural women from fully participating in social, political, and economic systems.   For women living in the Tina River Hydropower Development Project (TRHDP) catchment, they also face challenges which can hinder their ability to pursue viable livelihood options. Some of these include a lack of skills and training opportunities, access …

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HONIARA – The commencement of construction activities at the Tina River Hydropower Development Project (TRHDP) site would not have been possible without local company, Solomon Islands Explosive Ordnance Technicians (SIEOTEC), who have been responsible for the clearance of Unexploded Ordinances (UXOs) from World War 2 (WWII) within the project zone. SIEOTEC was established in 2012 and its team includes local UXO experts. It is the first local UXO commercial   firm which is responsible for ensuring that the Project’s construction sites are free from UXO. UXO clearance is a part of the Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan and must be …

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