Tuvalu’s power network is holding steady but remains vulnerable as the Government moves to put temporary safeguards in place and fast-track longer-term replacements, Transport and Energy Minister Simon Kofe said on Monday. A rental generator funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is due to arrive on 28 May 2026 to provide three to six months of backup while bids for permanent generators are processed, he told reporters in Funafuti.
Kofe said the immediate supply situation is “stable” and that recent blackouts were caused by distribution network faults rather than failures of generating units. “Generators are operating well. Recent blackouts were due to network issues, not generator faults,” he said, underlining that generators remain available even as technical and infrastructure weaknesses are addressed.
The rental unit is intended to reduce the risk of prolonged outages during the procurement window. Technical advisors are already in the country and procurement for permanent backup generators is under way, with the Government expecting bids in early May. “This will serve as backup for 3–6 months while new generators are procured,” Kofe said, explaining the stop-gap and procurement timelines.
International partners have also stepped in. The Government of Japan is exploring support to send a Daihatsu specialist to assist with maintenance of Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC) generators, while Australia is providing technical advisers to strengthen TEC’s financial systems and accounts. Kofe said Australia is also supporting efforts to increase national fuel storage capacity to guard against future supply disruptions.
Progress has been reported on integrating renewable energy into the grid. Kofe said previous compatibility problems between older diesel units and newer solar and battery systems have been addressed, and a communication cable fault with the battery system has been fixed — allowing solar generation to contribute reliably to the island’s electricity supply. Public Works Department and national ICT teams are working with TEC to harden infrastructure and system security, he added.
Fuel logistics remain a key vulnerability but are stable in the short term: the next fuel tanker is scheduled to arrive on 13 May 2026, Kofe said. He also confirmed the Department of Energy and the Red Cross are conducting a survey to identify households eligible for hardship assistance following outages during the state of emergency, which was declared earlier this month for 14 days and is due to lapse this week.
The update signals a shift from emergency response to stabilisation and resilience-building. While diesel generators are performing, the Government and partners are pursuing parallel tracks — temporary rental capacity, technical support and repairs to renewable integration now, with procurement of permanent generation and improved fuel storage underway — to reduce the likelihood of future crises for Tuvalu’s electricity-dependent services and communities.