At the Air New Zealand Cook Islands Tourism Awards on 27 September 2025, our project “Cook Islands – Green Future: Decentralized Solar and Hydrogen Solutions for Rarotonga, Cook Islands” received the CITC Environment Award.
Our project partner, Motu Beachfront Art Villas, also celebrated three further accolades: the Supreme Award, Business Excellence Under $2M, and the Cook Islands News Business Sustainability Award.
Funding & leadership:
- The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUKN) under the Export Initiative Environmental Protection (EXI).
- Project lead: GNZCC – German New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (AHK New Zealand).
In collaboration with Motu Beachfront Art Villas, Titikaveka College, and Kent Community Hall (community centre and cyclone shelter), the initiative is developing the South Pacific’s first green-hydrogen mini-grid serving all three entities. A rooftop PV system on Kent Hall will power the hall, the college, and the resort; excess solar will be converted to green hydrogen for clean, reliable energy storage—reducing reliance on battery-only systems and replacing a retrofitted diesel generator for on-demand power.
Now in Phase 2, with support from the local company ICTNexus, the project has funded the installation of smart meters and a weather station to collect design-critical data (solar irradiance, wind/rain, load profiles). The data is being analysed by Ostermeier H2ydrogen Solutions GmbH with the aim of developing a model project that can guide practical implementation on Rarotonga and serve as a reference for similar Pacific Island contexts.
These tools have already delivered tangible benefits: they identified a major holiday-period water leak at Titikaveka College, with projected annual savings of 8,640 kWh (≈ NZD 7.5k) and improved protection of equipment.
Meitaki Ma’ata to all partners and supporters as this vital work continues.
