Esso Highlands Limited boosts students' learning with Solar lamps

Students receive Solar Lamps from Esso Highlands. Photo Supplied.

New solar lamps are lighting up homes and boosting learning opportunities for children in the PNG  LNG Project area schools. 

Primary school students in Komo, Hides, Angore and Juha have received approximately 2,500 

portable solar lamps from Esso Highlands Limited, the operator of the PNG LNG Project. 

Teachers from 10 primary schools and 20 elementary schools in the area also received lamps to 

help support their teaching environments. 

The PNG LNG Project’s Social Impacts Manager, Sisa Kini said the solar lamps distribution is just 

one way the Project is supporting education in the area. 

“It is a wonderful opportunity to provide students with the right tools to boost their learning and 

educational development," she said. 

“Many primary school students who are unable to access electricity in their homes will now be able 

to use their solar lamps to complete their homework or reading. 

“Education is so important. It broadens people’s horizons and enables communities to progress. 

Home learning through these lamps will take these children a step closer towards achieving this 

goal. 

“The technology of the lamps is simple,” she said. “The light is small and lightweight, covered on 

one side by a small solar panel that converts sunlight into electricity. The solar panel is linked to a 

small battery that stores the electricity, which then powers the two small lights on the opposite side, 

with a switch to turn the lights on and off. If fully charged, the lights can run for up to eight hours, 

making it a valuable resource for students trying to learn at night.” 

While distributed to all students, the lights are also being used as graduation gifts and academic 

awards, helping to shed light on the importance of education. 

More solar lights will be distributed to schools in other Project areas in early 2014.