New Zealand has announced a multi-million dollar boost to help Papua New Guinea improve its solar energy potential - declaring $17 million to go towards a new solar upgrade.

The announcement was made today by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts in Papua New Guinea - the second stop in a five-country tour around Melanesia before a last stop on the island of Tuvalu.

Peters is leading the ministerial delegation, which left Auckland yesterday before a brief stop in Honiara, Solomon Islands, ahead of a flight to PNG’s capital, Port Moresby.

They were met by PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and a colourful cultural welcome from traditional dancers on the tarmac.

A NZ ministerial delegation, led by Deputy PM Winston Peters, are welcomed to Port Morseby, Papua New Guinea, last night. They are joined by PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko. Photo / MFAT

Speaking after formal talks with PNG officials, Peters said: “The Buka Electricity Grid Solar Upgrade project is expected to ultimately reduce the local grid’s reliance on diesel by up to 90 per cent and increase reliable access to electricity for [the] entire population.”

The island nation is known for its reliance on diesel and fuel oil to generate electricity and has one of the lowest electrification rates in the Pasifika region and the world.

Minister Watts acknowledged that the project would help create better opportunities for the people of PNG, as well as the country as a whole.

$9 million for peace and development - NZ’s commitment to ‘peaceful Pacific’

“Improved grid electricity access is expected to enhance resilience, enable efficient work and communication, drive economic development and contribute to a more sustainable energy system overall,” Watts said.

Other topics of discussion between the two governments included trade and investment arrangements, labour mobility, education, defence ties, development priorities, climate change and regional and global geo-strategic trends.

New Zealand and Papua New Guinea government officials in Port Moresby today. Photo / MFAT

The talks also resulted in a $9m pledge for peace and development initiatives in the provinces of Hela and Southern Highlands; which Peters said was one of the most significant conflict issues in the Pacific region.

Contributing to the crucial peace-building work is what he described as an important decision of New Zealand’s commitment to a stable and peaceful Pacific.

The delegation - which also includes Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti, Defence and Trade Committee chair Tim van de Molen and Labour Foreign Affairs spokesman David Parker - is in PNG for a total of three days.

Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Tuvalu next

Peters and Reti met with PNG PM James Marepe after the earlier bilateral; discussing the common history of democracy, shared Pacific home and priorities and connections to Asia.

The delegation will later travel to Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Tuvalu, one of the smallest and most isolated countries in the world - and also among the very vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Other items on the agenda in PNG are visits to the local hospital, a new leadership centre at the Murray Barracks headquarters and the Fred Hollows Centre for Eye Health.

The eye clinic, in particular, is one of a number of eye clinics around the Pacific supported by the Fred Hollows Foundation - a charity founded by Kiwi-born eye surgeon Professor Fred Hollows and his wife Gabi in 1992 to help restore sight to the needlessly blind.

Preventable blindness is a huge issue in the Pacific and the Foundation has helped to provide eye care services - including cataract surgery - in their clinics in Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and PNG.

Previously, people had to travel to New Zealand or Australia for those services.

This is the second Pacific Mission led by Peters this year.

He and Reti also travelled with a delegation to Tonga, Cook Islands and Samoa in February; with a goal of maintaining New Zealand’s relationship with the Pasifika region and her people.

Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald’s Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and won the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.