New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday inaugurated a new solar power farm in Solomon Islands.
It is one of a number of Pacific states where the two nations have worked together to help ease Pacific countries off their reliance on diesel generation for electricity.
New Zealand's Pacific economic ambassador, Shane Jones, who was in Honiara for the inauguration, said it has cost US$6,800,000 dollars, with New Zealand contributing 40 percent and the remainder from the UAE.
He said the farm's output is up to a thousand kilowatts of electricity.
"It will contribute up to 4 percent of the energy needs of the nation and probably save them about a million bucks Kiwi (US$670,000) per year in reducing importation of diesel," Mr Jones said.
