Tuvalu’s power system is holding steady as a 14-day State of Emergency ends, but government ministers say risks remain and temporary measures are being rushed in to shore up supply. Transport and Energy Minister Simon Kofe told reporters on Monday that a rental generator, funded by the Asian Development Bank, is due to arrive on 28 May and will provide backup for three to six months while permanent replacements are procured.
Kofe said recent blackouts were caused by network faults rather than failures of the island nation’s generators. “Generators are operating well. Recent blackouts were due to network issues, not generator faults,” he said, as technical teams continue on-the-ground repairs. Procurement for long-term backup is under way, with bids for permanent generators expected in early May, Kofe added.
International partners are lining up technical support. Japan is exploring sending a Daihatsu specialist to assist the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC) with its existing generator fleet, while Australian technical advisers are in-country to strengthen TEC’s financial systems and operations. Public Works Department and ICT teams are also working with TEC to bolster infrastructure and system security, officials said.
Integration of solar and battery systems into the grid has improved, Kofe said, after compatibility problems with older generators and a communication cable fault were fixed. That repair now allows solar generation and battery storage to support the island’s diesel plants more reliably, reducing immediate pressure on fuel-dependent generation during daylight hours.
Fuel logistics remain a focus. The next fuel tanker is scheduled to arrive on 13 May, and Tuvalu is pressing ahead with plans to expand fuel storage capacity to guard against future disruptions, with assistance from Australia. The rental generator due in late May is intended to provide a buffer while new units are purchased and storage resilience is increased.
Social support measures have also been activated. The Department of Energy, together with the Red Cross, is conducting a survey to identify households eligible for hardship assistance after the emergency period. Kofe emphasised that while supply is stable at present, contingency measures — both technical and social — are needed to manage ongoing vulnerability on the low-lying atoll nation.
This update marks the latest development in Tuvalu’s response to recent outages: it shifts the focus from emergency response to bridging measures and procurement to secure longer-term reliability. With the State of Emergency lapsing, the imminent arrival of a rental generator, international technical support, and steps to boost fuel storage are intended to reduce the likelihood of repeat disruptions as the government moves to finalise permanent solutions.