Tuvalu’s power system is holding steady but the government is rushing contingency measures as a 14‑day State of Emergency ends and a temporary generator funded by the Asian Development Bank is scheduled to arrive next month, Transport and Energy Minister Simon Kofe said on Monday. The State of Emergency is due to lapse on 1 May, and Kofe said the emergency declaration has helped coordinate technical assistance and hardship relief while more durable solutions are procured.
Kofe told reporters that the 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, adding that a rental generator financed by the ADB is expected to touch down on 28 May and will act as backup for three to six months while bids for permanent replacement units proceed. Procurement for those longer‑term generators is under way, with bids expected in early May.
A mix of international and regional partners have been mobilised to shore up Tuvalu’s fragile system. Japan is exploring support to send a Daihatsu specialist to work on existing plant at the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC), while Australia is providing technical advisers to strengthen TEC’s financial and operational systems and assisting efforts to boost national fuel storage capacity. Kofe said technical advisers are already in the country and Public Works Department and ICT teams are collaborating with TEC on infrastructure upgrades and system security.
Renewable integration work has also progressed, Kofe said. He reported that solar output is now better able to support the grid after compatibility issues with older generators were addressed and a communication cable to the battery system was repaired. Technical teams on the ground are tackling other operational challenges as procurement continues for permanent backup capacity.
Fuel supplies are currently stable, Kofe said, with the next tanker scheduled to arrive on 13 May. As part of broader preparedness, the government is strengthening storage to reduce the risk of future disruptions. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy, in partnership with the Red Cross, is conducting a household survey to identify families eligible for hardship assistance following outages during the emergency period.
The update also came amid regional strains on energy costs. Energy Fiji Limited has submitted a request for an emergency fuel surcharge, a move that highlights rising operational pressures across Pacific utilities reliant on imported fuel. For Tuvalu, the immediate focus remains restoring robust, resilient local generation and completing procurement for long‑term backup before the rented unit arrives at the end of May.