Solar station to power desalination in Vanuatu

A containerised solar power system, dubbed the ‘Solar Station’, has arrived in Vanuatu as the first of a series designed to power fresh water production for 11,000 people on the islands.

Developed by SolarCity NZ for Hitachi, the 50 kWp solar power system has been built within a modified shipping container and will power the first of two desalination plants for the islands. The plants will be installed on Ambae and Aniwa Islands.

The shipping container has been designed to work independently of the grid and provide isolated and developing communities with power to produce safe drinking water and access to solar power. The 50 kWp solar PV system will include 600 kWh of battery storage and 36 kW of continuous battery inverter output.

“One of our company’s goals is to work on state-of-the-art solar projects that reduce Pacific island nations’ dependency on fossil fuels for power generation and desalination,” said SolarCity CEO Andrew Booth.

“Reducing the Pacific’s reliance on expensive, imported fossil fuels and promoting renewable energy is important to the region’s energy and water security. As climate change starts to impact on the availability of fresh water on the islands, the successful integration of solar and desalination plants will become critical to communities across the Pacific.”

The Ambae plant will be the first of its size in Vanuatu, producing approximately 4200 L of fresh water per hour. The Aniwa plant will produce 420 L per hour.

The project has been funded as part of the Pacific Environment Community (PEC) Fund, which last year enabled SolarCity NZ to install a 131 kWp solar system in Nauru.