Tuvalu’s government says the immediate electricity emergency is easing but risks remain, as a rental generator funded by the Asian Development Bank is due to arrive next month and temporary backups will be used while permanent replacements are procured. Transport and Energy Minister Simon Kofe gave the update on 27 April as a 14‑day national State of Emergency declared over the power situation was due to end on Monday, 28 April.
Kofe said the national supply is “stable” and that recent blackouts were caused by distribution network faults rather than generator failures. “Generators are operating well. Recent blackouts were due to network issues, not generator faults,” he told reporters. He added that communication cable faults between the battery system and the grid have been fixed, enabling solar generation to contribute more reliably to the system.
The ADB‑funded rental unit is scheduled to arrive on 28 May and will serve as a stopgap for an estimated three to six months while the Government completes procurement for permanent backup generation. Kofe said technical advisers are already in Funafuti and that tenders for permanent backup generators were expected to open in early May. “This will give us breathing space to properly procure and commission longer‑term capacity,” he said.
International partners are stepping in on several fronts. The Government of Japan is exploring support to dispatch a Daihatsu specialist to work with the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC) on existing generator maintenance and performance. Australia has deployed technical advisers to strengthen TEC’s financial and operational systems, including accounts and procurement processes, Kofe said. Public Works and ICT teams are also working with TEC to bolster infrastructure and system security.
Fuel supply has been confirmed as stable in the short term, with the next tanker delivery scheduled for 13 May. Kofe said authorities are taking steps to increase national fuel storage capacity with Australian support to reduce vulnerability to future shipment disruptions. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy and the Red Cross are conducting a household survey to identify vulnerable families eligible for hardship assistance after power interruptions during the emergency period.
The latest developments follow weeks of concern over ageing diesel infrastructure and the challenges of integrating increased solar generation into a small island grid. While Kofe highlighted progress on solar integration and repairs that restored battery communications, the government’s reliance on temporary diesel backup underscores the longer‑term need to modernise generation and storage capacity to withstand climate and supply shocks. The arrival of the ADB rental unit and international technical support mark a significant, if interim, step toward stabilising Tuvalu’s power system.