ADB and Vanuatu Celebrate Commissioning of Santo Transmission Line

“This project is a significant achievement for the Government of Vanuatu, advancing our goal of providing power to previously unconnected areas,” said ADB Senior Country Officer Nancy Wells.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has partnered with the Government of Vanuatu and the Santo Community in celebrating the commissioning of the Santo transmission line, a key component of the ADB-supported Vanuatu Energy Access Project (VEAP). The ceremony was led by Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geohazards, and Disaster Management, Ralph Regenvanu.

“This project is a significant achievement for the Government of Vanuatu, advancing our goal of providing power to previously unconnected areas,” said ADB Senior Country Officer Nancy Wells. “This milestone brings Vanuatu closer to its ambition of achieving 100% grid-based renewable electrification by 2030.”

Minister Regenvanu emphasized the project's transformative impact: “This initiative will deliver clean, reliable, and affordable electricity to previously unpowered regions. As more households gain access to electricity, it will spur economic activity and support sustainable development on the island.”

The Santo transmission line project includes 45 kilometers of new transmission and distribution lines from Turtle Bay to Port Olry. This is the second component of the VEAP, following the successful completion of the Brenwe hydropower plant and approximately 40 kilometers of transmission lines in Malekula. The hydropower plant is now operational and supplying renewable energy to local communities.

Looking ahead, VEAP will focus on expanding low-voltage lines in Santo and Malekula to connect additional households. The project will also offer business skills training in these areas to help newly connected households use electricity for income-generating activities.

The VEAP has a total investment of around $22.3 million, with approximately $18 million provided by the Asian Development Bank, including $8.5 million from the ADB’s Asian Development Fund (ADF). The ADF supports the poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries and is replenished every four years by donor countries.