The International Solar Alliance will establish a Solar Technology Application Resource Centre at Don Bosco Technological Institute in Port Moresby as Papua New Guinea strengthens its partnership with the global solar energy organisation.

The STAR-C will train students and workers to install, operate and maintain solar power systems, supporting Papua New Guinea's plans to expand solar energy and build the technical skills needed to deploy the technology across the country.

The announcement was made during a high-level and technical ISA mission to Papua New Guinea from Aug. 4 to 7, led by ISA Director General Ashish Khanna.

During the mission, the ISA delegation met with government ministers, energy utilities, industrial energy users, academic institutions and development finance partners to advance projects under the Country Partnership Framework signed between ISA and Papua New Guinea in 2025.

The delegation also visited Don Bosco Technological Institute, where it engaged with faculty and students on the skills, curricula and certification pathways that will be supported through the new centre.

The STAR-C builds on training already provided by ISA to participants from Papua New Guinea and is intended to establish a larger and sustained technical capacity-building program.

Prime Minister James Marape said the partnership provides a practical pathway for Papua New Guinea to strengthen energy security.

“Energy security sits at the centre of Papua New Guinea's development ambitions, and our partnership with the International Solar Alliance gives us a practical route towards it. The Country Partnership Framework has moved from agreement to action, with project assessments underway and a training centre now announced in Port Moresby. My government will continue to work with ISA, our utilities, our industries, and our financing partners to turn this pipeline into power for our people.”

Energy Minister Peter Namea Isoaimo said solar energy could help expand electricity access across the country's islands and remote communities while reducing dependence on imported fuel.

“Papua New Guinea's people live across hundreds of islands and highland communities, and too many of them still wait for reliable power. Solar allows us to reach them faster and at lower cost than any other option, and it shields our households and industries from the price of imported fuel. Working with the International Solar Alliance, we are putting in place the regulation, the projects, and now the skills base that will carry this transition forward.”

Khanna said Papua New Guinea has significant potential to use solar energy to improve electricity access and support economic development.

“Papua New Guinea demonstrates the transformative potential of solar energy in addressing the unique challenges of island nations and remote communities as exemplified by ISA’s SIDS program for bringing together island countries for shared knowledge and project pipeline.”

He said the partnership would support solar rooftops, mini-grids, larger solar projects and the development of a national solar energy roadmap, alongside the STAR-C at Don Bosco.

The ISA delegation also visited a solar power plant with a Battery Energy Storage System at the Napa Napa refinery, where solar-plus-storage technology is being used to supply an industrial load.

The visit highlighted the potential for solar and battery storage to support industrial users while reducing reliance on imported diesel and other fossil fuels.

As part of the Country Partnership Framework, ISA has also assessed the feasibility of two proposed 50-megawatt solar projects and is supporting Papua New Guinea in developing the regulatory framework needed to expand solar technologies.

The delegation held discussions with the World Bank Group and the Asian Development Bank on potential financing pathways for a pipeline of bankable solar projects.

The mission also examined opportunities to expand solar deployment across Papua New Guinea, strengthen regulations for rooftop solar and develop solar and storage solutions for energy-intensive industries such as mining.

ISA said the mission is expected to strengthen cooperation with the Papua New Guinea Government and establish a pipeline of priority projects and technical assistance under the Country Partnership Framework.

The Papua New Guinea visit forms part of a wider ISA mission across the Pacific, including Fiji, Vanuatu and Kiribati.