Tuvalu’s power system is holding steady but remains fragile as the government races to put backups in place, Transport and Energy Minister Simon Kofe said Monday in an update timed with the expiry of a 14‑day state of emergency. Kofe told PACNEWS that recent blackouts were traced to network faults rather than failures of generating units, and that generators are “operating well,” even as temporary measures are fast-tracked while longer‑term replacements are procured.
A rental generator financed by the Asian Development Bank is due to touch down on 28 May and will be deployed as a stop‑gap for an estimated three to six months while bids are sought for permanent machines, Kofe said. Technical advisers are already in‑country and procurement processes for permanent backup generators are under way, with bids expected in early May, according to the minister. Those moves follow work to resolve immediate technical hurdles: communication cable faults affecting the battery system have been fixed, allowing solar output to support generation more effectively.
International partners have stepped up targeted assistance. Japan’s government is exploring sending a Daihatsu specialist to support the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation’s (TEC) existing generator fleet, Kofe said, while Australia is providing technical advisers to strengthen TEC’s financial and operational systems and help shore up fuel storage and infrastructure. The Public Works Department and ICT teams are also collaborating with TEC to bolster system security and resilience.
Fuel supply, a key vulnerability for a small diesel‑dependent grid, was reported as stable for now. The next tanker delivery is scheduled for 13 May, and Kofe said steps are being taken with Australian support to increase national fuel storage capacity to guard against future disruptions. The minister emphasised that stabilising logistics and storage is central to avoiding repeat crises, even as renewable integration progresses.
Social measures have also begun. The Department of Energy, together with the Red Cross, is conducting a household survey to identify families eligible for hardship assistance during the emergency period, Kofe said. The outreach is intended to target those most affected by outages and the economic shocks that accompanied the emergency declaration.
While the immediate update signals diminished risk of further sudden blackouts, Kofe and partners stressed that risks remain until permanent capacity and storage improvements are in place. The arrival of a rented ADB‑funded generator, Japan’s potential technical assistance and Australia’s support for TEC mark the latest steps in a multi‑partner effort to stabilise Tuvalu’s electricity supply and accelerate integration of solar resources into a more resilient system.