10 donors support Tonga's renewable energy initiative [1]
Thursday, November 19, 2009 - 18:59. Updated on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 10:08.
In a quest to reduce Tonga's total reliance on imported fuel, the Tonga government this week took a positive step forward when 10 representatives of donor countries and agencies gave their support to an Interim Technical Report, which outlined the basis for a Tonga Energy Roadmap for the next decade.
Tonga regards its 100% reliance on imported fuel for its power supply as a major national security issue.
Presented at a meeting in Vava'u, the Interim Technical Report outlined the basis for a "Tonga Energy Roadmap 2010-20: Ten Year Road Map to Reduce Tonga's Vulnerability To Oil Price Shocks and Achieve an Increase in Quality Access to Modern Energy Services in an environmentally sustainable Manner."
The meeting set out the work to be done, including the drafting of an Energy Road Map, and setting a November 30 deadline for comments on the Interim Technical Report.
A draft Renewable Energy Roadmap for Tongan is expected to be completed by early next year.
The minutes of the meeting signed by the donors also set out a working agenda.
Studies
Further study will be made on Loss Reduction from Tonga Power Ltd's distribution network and also the Petroleum Supply Chain.
Also further work will be undertaken on four areas discussed in the draft Interim Report, including a Demand Forecast; a Demand Side Management; On-Grid Renewable Energy; and an Off-Grid Report.
Tonga Power
While work is on going to finalize an energy roadmap for Tonga, Tonga Power Ltd., the sole supplier of electricity for Tonga is forging ahead with its own program to improve its service and meet peak hours demand and to cut down on power lost.
David Wright, manager of Tonga Power Ltd, revealed at the meeting that TPL will be installing two new 600 kilowatts generators in Vava'u and in operation around February or March 2010.
David said that the two new generators would enable TPL to meet peak hours requirement, "particularly, during the summer months. It will also enable us to meet the foreseeable mid-peak load power requirement for the next four to five years."
The other area that TPL is working on to cut costs is power loss. Peter McGill, the CEO for TPL explained that they were currently working with NZAID on a Scoping Project, which they hoped to complete early next year. "It will then go to NZAID for their assessment before we move forward."
Meawhile, David said that there were a number of things that could be done to make electricity more affordable by taking loss out of the business.
"If we can remove these losses from across the four islands then obviously it reduces the loss and lowers the cost of electricity to the consumers, so that is one area. Other areas where there will be significant saving is in the shipment of petroleum to Tonga, and that is not only for power generation but for all sectors of the economy that rely on petroleum.
Big storage facility
"A big storage facility will enable big tankers to by-pass Fiji and come straight to Tonga."
David said that the financing of such big storage facility could come from either aid donors or from private investorsl.
David told the meeting in Vava'u that TPL was well on the way to signing Memorandum of Understanding with two renewable energy companies.
Hydrogen
"One is an American company that is well on the way to installing a pilot device to generate renewable energy through a new technology that they have developed where they will make hydrogen from seawater and the hydrogen can be used to power generators.
"From Tonga Power's perspective we have an agreement with them, we will purchase power from them at a certain price and we are encouraged by it, and if the technology works it will be a very good option for us, and it is the first in the world. They plan to start production next March," said David.
"The other major renewable option is a large scale photo voltaic solar installation to be located on the land near the TPL Tongatapu generator. It will be a 1megawatt project, and we are looking at working with a large New Zealand renewable energy company. They will build and own the facility then they sell us the power.
"Tonga Power will operate the facility, get all the knowledge, and eventually will own the facility," he said.
The two-days meeting, from November 14-17, at the Puataukanave Hotel, Neiafu, Vava'u, was opened by HRH Princess Salote Pilolevu and attended by the Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele, the Minister of Land, Survey and Natural Resources and senior officials from a wide range of donors with an interest in the Energy Road Map to discuss the Interim Technical Report.