A solar power plant commissioned on Thursday last week will cut diesel use and give Kirakira a steadier power supply, reaching the hospital, schools, public services, shops and homes in the Makira-Ulawa Province business centre, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.

The plant has a 320-kilowatt solar array and 1,140-kilowatt-hour battery storage, tied into the town's existing grid. It is one of five provincial systems being built under the $15.2 million Solar Power Development Project, which ADB supports.

Kirakira is the third plant commissioned under the project, after Tulagi in September and Munda in October. ADB said the project had met delays and technical and logistical problems, including disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulty of moving equipment to remote locations, and ADB Country Director Anthony Gill commended Solomon Power and its partners for working through them.

Mr Gill said at the commissioning that the plant would strengthen energy security, cut reliance on imported diesel, help local businesses and lift the renewable share of supply, with environmental gains for the years ahead. "Reliable electricity is the foundation of economic growth, education, healthcare, and communications," he said.

Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification Derrick Manu'ari, in his keynote address, said buying less imported diesel would save money and bring power costs down over time. The test of the investment, Mr Manu'ari said, would be its sustained operational performance, lower fuel spending and a measurable contribution to more affordable electricity.

ADB said it would keep supporting the Government of the Solomon Islands on further renewable energy systems, on policy and regulation, and on ways to reduce the generation and non-generation costs of electricity. Solomon Power Chief Executive Officer Delilah Homelo delivered the closing remarks, and cultural dance groups of women, men and children from Kirakira performed at the ceremony.

Source: Drawn from "ADB-supported solar plant brings cleaner, more reliable power to Kirakira", published by the Solomon Islands Government portal on 16 November 2026. https://solomons.gov.sb/adb-supported-solar-plant-brings-cleaner-more-reliable-power-to-kirakira/