Tuvalu’s electricity supply is currently holding steady, but government and international partners are racing to shore up backup capacity and fix technical faults after a fortnight of power disruption, Transport and Energy Minister Simon Kofe said on Monday.
Kofe told media in Funafuti that recent blackouts were caused by network faults rather than failures of generating sets, and that generators themselves remain operational. “Generators are operating well. Recent blackouts were due to network issues, not generator faults,” he said, stressing that stability has returned even as vulnerabilities remain. The 14‑day State of Emergency declared after the outages is due to end this week.
As an interim measure, Tuvalu will receive a rental generator funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that is scheduled to arrive on 28 May. The unit is intended to act as a temporary backup for three to six months while procurement for permanent generators proceeds. Technical advisors are on the ground and government procurement officials expect bids for permanent backup units to be called in early May, Kofe said.
Technical assistance is being mobilised from international partners. Japan is exploring support to send a Daihatsu specialist to work on existing units at the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC), and Australian advisers are assisting with strengthening TEC’s financial and operational systems. Public Works Department and ICT teams are working alongside TEC to shore up infrastructure and system security, Kofe added.
Renewable energy integration, a long‑term priority for the low‑lying atoll nation, has also improved after recent fixes. Kofe said compatibility issues between older generators and solar installations have been addressed and communication cable faults for the battery system have been repaired, allowing solar power to feed into the grid more effectively. Those repairs reduce the reliance on diesel generation in normal operating conditions but do not remove the need for reliable backup during system faults.
Authorities have also begun targeted social support measures. The Department of Energy, together with the Red Cross, is conducting a survey to identify households eligible for hardship assistance following the disruptions. Kofe emphasised the relief effort will focus on vulnerable households affected during the emergency period.
Fuel supply risks are being managed for now: the next tanker delivery is scheduled for 13 May, and Australia is supporting efforts to increase national fuel storage capacity to guard against future interruptions. While the immediate outlook is stable, Kofe warned that the combination of aging infrastructure and the technical complexity of blending renewables with legacy diesel systems leaves Tuvalu exposed to further outages unless new equipment and system upgrades arrive on schedule.
This update follows widespread outages that prompted emergency measures earlier this month. The latest developments — a confirmed ADB‑funded rental generator with a firm arrival date, planned procurement activity, specialist support from Japan, and concrete Australian assistance for TEC — represent the most substantial steps yet to secure the tiny nation’s power supply while longer‑term resilience measures continue.