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Pacific partners celebrate milestones in Waste-to-Energy transition at Pacific Adoption to Waste to Energy Solutions (PAWES) Project Steering Committee Meeting
Pacific countries and regional partners gathered in Nadi for the Final (4th) Project Steering Committee Meeting of the Pacific Adoption of Waste-to-Energy Solutions (PAWES) Project, marking a major milestone in efforts to transform waste challenges into clean energy opportunities across the region. The hybrid meeting brought together representatives from government, academia, regional organisations and development partners to review achievements, celebrate progress, and agree on sustainability pathways as the project approaches closure in June 2026.
Opening the meeting, Ms Olai Uludong, Deputy Director of SPC’s Georesources & Energy Programme, highlighted the PAWES Project as the first regional initiative to systematically bridge waste management, renewable energy policy and higher education.
“PAWES Project has shown what is possible when we bring together science, policy, education and community innovation across the Pacific,” Ms. Uludong said. “This project is not only transforming how we view and manage waste, but also building the skills, evidence and partnerships needed for a resilient, low-carbon future.”
Participants from Samoa, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, together with several observer countries, were joined by academic partners from NUS, UPNG and USP, as well as SPC, SPREP and the European Union.
A central focus of the meeting was the project’s progress across its six work packages. Key achievements include the finalisation of Baseline Assessment Reports and Feasibility Studies for five countries, as well as waste-to-energy data-collection missions to PNG, RMI, and Solomon Islands. A dedicated WtE Forum held at SPREP’s CIRCLE Expo brought Pacific stakeholders together to discuss strengthening WtE awareness, legal frameworks and monitoring systems.
A highlight of the meeting was the progress of student-led waste-to-energy pilot projects, now underway at six locations across Samoa, PNG, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Fiji. These include anaerobic biodigesters for food waste, pyrolysis systems for plastic-to-fuel production, and biodiesel generation from waste cooking oil. Academic partners praised the strong student engagement, gender balance and the value of structured mentoring, with several installations scheduled between November 2025 and March 2026.
Looking ahead, the Committee reviewed emerging funding opportunities to sustain momentum beyond the project. Confirmed support includes a New Zealand MFAT-funded PNG WtE Policy and Roadmap, while new concept notes have been submitted to Australia for national WtE frameworks, scaling up pyrolysis technologies, and community-based biofuel initiatives. Members underscored the importance of linking these efforts to national planning and ongoing collaboration with academic and private-sector partners.
To consolidate and amplify project results, the PSC endorsed plans for a Lessons Learnt Workshop in May 2026 in PNG, aligned with the Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers’ Meeting (PRETMM). The workshop will validate monitoring and evaluation findings, showcase progress at the pilot site, and produce an Advocacy Brief for ministerial consideration.
The Committee also endorsed priority actions for 2025–2026, including commissioning all pilot installations, publishing remaining technical reports, strengthening WtE policy environments, and continuing curriculum development and student supervision support.
As the PAWES project enters its final phase, partners reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening waste-to-energy solutions that support a scalable, sustainable and resilient energy transition for communities across the Blue Pacific.
About the Project
The Pacific Adoption of Waste-to-Energy Solutions (PAWES) project is co-funded by the Pacific Community (SPC) and the ACP Innovation Fund, under the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Research and Innovation Programme. This programme is implemented by OACPS with financial support from the European Union. The project is led by SPC in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
