Field trip to Pulau Kur and Pulau Kei Besar, July 2019

  • NZMATES technical and community engagement team with the Camat of Pulau-Pulau Kur Kecamatan at the solar PV installation in Lokwirin village.
  • NZMATES personnel talk with PLN staff at the diesel power plant on Pulau Kur. At the time of visiting the diesel plant supplied 12-hour electricity to most villages on the island.
  • The solar PV power plant in Lokwirin village. Although the plant is not operational, it is important that safety measures such as fences are in place as de-activated solar power plants can still pose a hazard to the public.
  • Pulau Kur, about 7 hours ferry ride from Tual, is home to many beautiful beaches.
  • NZMATES Community Engagement team met with representatives of local schools and other public institutions to better understand current energy use and future needs.
  • Some businesses, such as this car and motorbike repair workshop, feel the lack of reliable electricity service more acutely than others.
  • NZMATES conducted an energy needs assessment with households, businesses and social institutions on Pulau Kur. This is essential to ensure that any refurbishment of the solar PV system is aligned with the needs, capacities and aspirations of the local community and can bring maximum impact.
  • A reliable, 24-hour electricity service can bring great benefits to small business owners like this woman, who runs a small kiosk.
  • As part of the same trip, the NZMATES team also visited Kei Besar Island, a short boat ride from Tual, to assess the status of the solar PV plant installed in Rahareng village.
  • NZMATES Technical team and PLN staff discuss the solar PV plant and electricity supply on Kei Besar Island.
  • NZMATES team along with PLN staff and a representative from Bappeda at the disel power plant in Elat, Kei Besar Island.
  • The solar installation in Rahareng village, Kei Besar Island.
  • NZMATES Technical team conduct a safety check, checking the solar array framing and combiner boxes for live voltage. Even when old solar installations are no longer in use, high voltage levels can be present if they have not been fully disconnected.
  • NZMATES Community Engagement team visited several different villages on Kei Besar island in order to understand how energy needs might differ between the main urban centres and smaller villages like Ohoinarang, pictured here.
  • NZMATES Community Engagement team assess energy usage and needs at the main hospital on Kei Besar Island. Reliable, 24-hour electricity access is vital for clinics and health centres to provide quality healthcare to citizens.
  • Carpenters are often particularly impacted by unreliable electricity services, and often have to pay to run expensive generators, or run electrical tools at night when electricity is available and demand is lower.
  • NZMATES Technical Specialists with PLN staff collecting load data at the diesel power plant on Pulau Kur.
  • NZMATES Technical team and PLN staff inspect the solar PV plant’s inverters.