FUNAFUTI — Tuvalu’s power system is currently stable but remains exposed to risks as the government rushes to shore up backup capacity, Transport and Energy Minister Simon Kofe said on Monday as a 14‑day state of emergency came to an end.
Kofe told reporters generators at the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC) are operating normally and that recent blackouts were caused by distribution network faults rather than failures of generation units. “Generators are operating well. Recent blackouts were due to network issues, not generator faults,” he said, stressing that technical teams remain on the ground addressing the network problems that triggered outages during the emergency.
To bolster resilience while longer‑term replacements are procured, the Asian Development Bank has funded a rental generator that Kofe said is due to arrive on 28 May. The generator is expected to provide a three‑ to six‑month bridging supply while bids for permanent backup units are processed — procurement for those permanent generators is expected to begin in early May, the minister added. Technical advisors are already in‑country to support tendering and installation planning.
International partners are lining up targeted assistance. Japan is exploring sending a Daihatsu specialist to advise on maintaining and optimising TEC’s existing generator fleet, and Australia is providing technical advisors to strengthen TEC’s financial and operational systems. Canberra is also supporting efforts to increase on‑island fuel storage capacity, a measure Kofe said is part of national preparations to guard against future fuel supply disruptions. The next fuel tanker is scheduled to arrive on 13 May, he confirmed.
Renewable energy integration has improved, according to the minister. Kofe said previous compatibility issues between solar arrays, batteries and older diesel generators have been resolved after fixes to communication cabling with the battery system, allowing solar output to be more effectively used when available. Public Works Department and ICT teams are working with TEC to shore up infrastructure and system security as solar and battery components play a greater role in daily supply management.
The government is also moving to address social impacts from the emergency. The Department of Energy and the Red Cross are conducting a survey to identify households eligible for hardship assistance following outages, Kofe said, signalling targeted support for the most vulnerable families affected during the disruption.
While the immediate threat of generation collapse appears limited, Kofe warned that risks remain until permanent backup capacity and strengthened fuel storage are in place. The arrival of the ADB‑funded rental unit and the planned procurement process aim to reduce that vulnerability, but officials say continued technical support from partners and expedited infrastructure upgrades will be crucial to preventing future crises in the low‑lying Pacific nation.