Kiribati Solar Export Analysis

Why is electricity so expensive in Kiribati?

Of the 7,877 households in South Tarawa (44% of total households in Kiribati), 72.4% are connected to grid electricity. Access is largely for lighting, and that lighting is often insufficient, inefficient, and expensive. The high electricity cost has suppressed demand and has hindered growth in the commercial and tourism sectors.

Who generates electricity in Kiribati?

Sector context. Grid-connected electricity in Kiribati’s capital, South Tarawa, is generated 4. and distributed by the Public Utilities Board (PUB), a state-owned electricity and water utility.

Why are there no independent power providers in Kiribati?

Also, despite the potential for revenue generation from the high electricity costs, there are currently no independent power providers in Kiribati. Barriers to private sector investment include (i) lack of an enabling policy and regulatory framework, (ii) credit worthiness of PUB as an off-taker, and (iii) small transaction sizes.8

What country is Kiribati?

THE PROJECT Country context. The Republic of Kiribati is a small island nation in Central Pacific. It comprises 32 atolls and a coral island with a total land area of 810 square kilometers (km2) widely dispersed over an exclusive economic zone of 3.5 million km2 and spread across three island groups and time zones.

How many people live in Kiribati?

Half of Kiribati’s population of 115,847 live in the capital, South Tarawa, which has a land area of only 16 km2 (population density of over 3,600 per km2). Of the 7,877 households in South Tarawa (44% of total households in Kiribati), 72.4% are connected to grid electricity.

Is Kiribati a poor country?

Gender inequalities persist in the public and private sectors, and within the home. Unemployment is high (31%), and even higher among women (58%). Kiribati’s poverty rate is estimated at 22% in 2006. South Tarawa has the highest number of poor people with a poverty rate of 24%.6 Around 20-25% of households are headed by women.