FUNAFUTI — Tuvalu’s electricity supply is holding steady as a 14‑day State of Emergency draws to a close, but the government and international partners are rushing in backup measures to guard against further disruption, Transport and Energy Minister Simon Kofe said on Monday.
Kofe told reporters generators are “operating well” and that recent blackouts were caused by network faults rather than failures of generation. Still, he said authorities were moving quickly to shore up resilience while longer‑term replacements are procured. “A rental generator, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is expected to arrive on 28 May. This will serve as backup for three to six months while new generators are procured,” he said.
Procurement for permanent backup units is already under way, Kofe added, with technical advisors on the ground and bids for permanent generators expected in early May. In the meantime Japan has offered technical assistance; the Government of Japan is exploring support to send a Daihatsu specialist to work on existing units at the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC).
Partners from Australia are also active in the response. Kofe said Australian technical advisors are assisting with TEC’s financial systems and accounts, and Canberra is helping to strengthen national fuel storage capacity to reduce vulnerability to future supply interruptions. Fuel availability remains stable for now, he said, with the next tanker shipment scheduled to arrive on 13 May.
Domestically, officials have moved to protect households affected during the emergency. The Department of Energy and the Red Cross are conducting a survey to identify families eligible for hardship assistance, Kofe said, as government teams from Public Works and ICT work with TEC to shore up infrastructure and system security.
The minister highlighted progress on renewable integration as a positive development in the recovery. “Solar integration has improved. Previous compatibility issues with older generators are being addressed, and communication cable issues with the battery system have now been fixed, allowing solar power to support generation,” he said — a shift that could reduce pressure on diesel supplies while permanent solutions are delivered.
This update comes as the declared emergency period ends and while temporary measures — notably the ADB‑funded rental generator and international technical support from Japan and Australia — provide a buffer. Kofe stressed the combination of short‑term backups, procurement of permanent units and repairs to enable greater solar contribution as central to restoring durable power security for Funafuti and the outer islands.