Tuvalu’s 14-day State of Emergency is set to end on Monday, April 29, but the country’s Transport and Energy Minister Simon Kofe warned that risks to the power system remain even as short‑term reinforcements are rushed into place. Kofe said the immediate situation is stable and recent blackouts were caused by network faults rather than failing generators, but several temporary and longer‑term measures are underway to shore up supply.
The most concrete short‑term boost is a rental generator, funded by the Asian Development Bank, which Kofe said is expected to arrive on May 28. That unit is intended to provide back‑up for between three and six months while the government completes procurement of permanent generators; Kofe told reporters that bids for those permanent units are expected in early May. Technical advisors are already in Tuvalu to support the process.
International partners have mobilised practical assistance. Kofe confirmed the Government of Japan is exploring sending a Daihatsu specialist to help maintain existing units at the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC). Australia is providing technical support to strengthen TEC’s financial and operational systems, and is assisting plans to boost national fuel storage capacity to reduce vulnerability to future supply shocks. Public Works Department and ICT teams are also working with TEC to shore up infrastructure and system security.
On the grid itself, Kofe said crews have fixed communication cable issues with the battery system and that solar integration has improved, allowing renewable input to better support generation. “Generators are operating well. Recent blackouts were due to network issues, not generator faults,” he said, stressing that addressing network weaknesses is critical to preventing repeated outages as renewable generation increases.
Authorities are also identifying households in need of immediate assistance. The Department of Energy, in collaboration with the Red Cross, has begun a survey to determine eligibility for hardship support during the emergency period. Fuel supplies remain steady for now: Kofe reported the next tanker delivery is scheduled for May 13, providing a short‑term buffer while storage capacity improvements progress.
While the end of the declared emergency signals a partial easing of the crisis response, the timeline underlines that Tuvalu will rely on both temporary and contracted solutions over the coming months. The arrival of the ADB‑funded generator, the expected bids for permanent back‑up in early May, and incoming international technical support are the latest developments aiming to strengthen resilience in a nation that has repeatedly faced energy challenges linked to ageing infrastructure and the complexities of integrating renewables.