Technical officers from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) contracted for the Sustainable Energy from Biogas for Solomon Islands (SENBIOSIS) project are currently in the country to consult with project stakeholders.
Funded by the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) from the Government of Italy, the project will be implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Government of Solomon Islands and will operate in Guadalcanal and Malaita Provinces.
Running from January 2026 to July 2028, the project has a budget of USD 1.58 million.
SENBIOSIS is designed to improve access to clean and affordable energy in off-grid rural areas by promoting the use of biogas technology. The project will reduce organic waste and reliance on firewood by supporting the installation of biogas digesters at commercial livestock farms, rural households, and waste management facilities.
During their visit, UNDP technical officers held initial consultations with the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) and toured several piggery farms outside Honiara yesterday with a team from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) to assess the suitability of farms for piloting the SENBIOSIS project.
MAL Permanent Secretary Dr Samson Viulu stated that the project aims to establish a minimum of 10 biogas plants.
“Currently the project is looking to establish 10 biogas digesters. The plants will use pig waste as raw material, so we are targeting commercial farms with 100 to 300 pigs,” Dr Viulu said.
The biogas plants will be customized to the size of each piggery farm, producing gas for cooking and, where possible, electricity generation, providing a renewable energy source that reduces firewood consumption.
The 10 commercial pig farms targeted could reduce at least 1,590 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent per year from avoided methane emissions. Replacing fossil fuel use, such as a 5-kW generator operating 8 hours daily (emitting 13 tonnes CO₂eq/year), would further increase reductions.
Combined, SENBIOSIS could prevent approximately 2,890 tonnes of CO₂eq emissions annually, supporting Solomon Islands’ climate mitigation efforts.
Pigs are the most common livestock in rural Solomon Islands, with an average of 5.8 pigs per person, amounting to roughly 3.5 million pigs for a rural population of 600,000. These pigs generate around 2 million tonnes of slurry annually, yet only 20 to 25 percent is used as fertilizer, with the remainder often polluting land and waterways. Commercial pig farms are concentrated near Honiara, with 45 to 50 active farms, while urban areas generate significant organic municipal waste.
The project is co-led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, with UNDP implementing the initiative under a Direct Implementation Modality.
MAL will support agricultural development, livestock activities, and rural livelihoods, while MMERE’s Energy Division will provide technical support for biogas systems, quality control, training, and help establish biogas cooperatives or enterprises to ensure sustainability beyond the project’s lifespan.
Biogas is a proven technology that converts manure and organic waste into energy for cooking and electricity. A previous UNDP and FAO study under the SCALA Project confirmed the technical, environmental, and financial potential of biogas production from pig farm waste and municipal solid waste. However, limited technical capacity, financing constraints, and weak infrastructure currently hinder sector growth, highlighting the need for external support.
SENBIOSIS aligns with Solomon Islands’ climate commitments under the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
Source: MAL Press
