Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Samiu Vaipulu, led a Tongan delegation to China in early October to view clean energy solutions and later to attend the 7th Asian Solar Energy Forum (ASEF) meeting in Seoul, Korea on October 14 - 15 .

Hanergy Holding Ltd.

On October 12 Hon Vaipulu and his delegation visited Hanergy Holding Group Ltd., a multinational clean-energy power generation company, as well as the world's largest thin-film solar power company, in Beijing.

A meeting with Mr Wang Yong, the Executive President of Hanergy Ltd. successfully shared information that will be mutually beneficial to both parties in opening the way for Tonga Power Ltd. (TPL) to continue the dialogue directly with Hanergy in developing projects in line with Tonga's 100% Renewable Energy target by 2020.

7^th Asian Solar Energy Forum

The Tongan delegation continued on to South Korea to attend the 7th Asian Solar Energy Forum (ASEF) meeting in Seoul on October 14 - 15. The delegation of six led by Hon. Samiu Vaipulu, included two from the new Ministry of Energy, ‘Inoke Vala, Dr. Tevita Tukunga; and three from Tonga Power Ltd.,TPL Chairman Carl Sanft, TPL Officers, Steven ‘Esau and Nikolasi Fonua. The Forum was organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). 

The Forum explored the concept of the Tonga Renewable Energy Target, which Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Vaipulu stated had changed from 50% to 100% by 2020.  At the Forum Hon. Samiu Vaipulu challenged the participants that it was time to wake up and to realize the effect of climate change and adverse natural disasters to some of our island nations.  He confirmed that ADB had advised him that they would look at this request and, possibly, conduct a pilot study on one of the islands in Tonga. Hon. Vaipulu indicated that Tonga had agreed for the trial to be carried out in the island of Vava’u.

The Deputy Prime Minister is also the Minister responsible for Environment, Energy, Climate Change, Disaster Management, Meteorology, Information and Communications.The Tongan delegation returned to Tonga last week on October 20.

‘A‘ahi ‘a e Tokoni Palemia ‘o Tonga ki Siaina pea mo Kolea

Na‘e me‘a atu ‘a e Tokoni Palemia, Samiu Vaipulu ‘a ia na‘a ne tataki ‘a e folau fakapule‘anga koia ‘i he ‘aho Tokonaki 11 ‘o Okatopa ‘o e uike kuo‘osi, kenau kau fakataha ki he fakataha koia hono 7 ‘oku ‘iloa ko e Asian Solar Energy Forum(ASEF) na‘e fakahoko ki Seoul ‘i Kolea Tonga. ‘I he ‘aho Monite 12 ‘o ‘Okatopa ‘o e uike kuo‘osi, na‘e ‘uluaki me‘a atu ai ‘a e Tokoni Palemia mo e kau folau ni ki Beijing ke kau atu ki he fakataha pea mo e ko e kau memipa ma‘olunga ‘o e Kautaha ko e Hanergy Holding Group Ltd.  Ko e kautaha ni ko e kautaha sola ‘i hono fa‘u koia ‘a e ma‘u‘anga ivi mei natula pea ‘oku ‘iloa fakamamani lahi.  Ko e kautaha mataotao mo lahi taha ‘eni ‘i mamani ‘i hono fa‘u koia ‘a e sola mei he ma‘u‘anga ivi fakaenatula ‘aki ‘a e fanga ki‘i ‘ata sola filimi iiki.

Ko e kau folau mei Tonga ni na‘e toko 6 fakakatoa ‘o kau ki ai ‘a e Tokoni Palemia, Hon. Vaipulu pehe ki he kau fakafofonga mei he Potungaue fo‘ou koia ko e Ma‘u‘anga Ivi ‘a ia ko ‘Inoke Vala, Toketa Tevita Tukunga pea pehe foki ki he kautaha Tonga Power ‘a ia na‘e kau kiai ‘a e Sea ‘o e Poate, Carl Sanft pehe ki he ongo ‘ofisa ma‘ulonga koia ko Steven ‘Esau pea mo Nikolasi Fonua.

Ko e fakataha mahu‘inga ni na‘e fokotu‘utu‘u ia ‘e he Kautaha Pangike Fakalalaka ‘a ‘Esia ‘a ia koia ko e Asian Development Bank (ADB). ‘I he ‘aho ‘uluaki ‘o e fakataha ni, na‘e me‘a ai ‘a e Tokoni Palemia ‘o fakaha kuo liliu ‘a e taketi ia ‘a e Tonga Renewable Energy mei he peseti ‘e 50 ki he peseti ‘e 100 ‘i he a‘u koia ki he 2020.  ‘I he lolotonga koia ‘a e feme‘a‘aki, na‘e me‘a ‘a e Tokoni Palemia ki he kau fakataha kenau fakatokanga‘i ange ‘a e fu‘u mahu‘inga koia ‘a e nunu‘a ‘o e feliuliuaki ‘o e ‘ea pehe ki he ngaahi fakatamaki fakaenatula ‘o ka hoko mai ki he ngaahi fanga ki‘i fonua iiki ni.  Na‘e me‘a foki ‘a e Tokoni Palemia ‘o fakahoko na‘e fakapapau‘i ange ‘e he Pangike Fakalakala ‘a ‘Esia (ADB) tenau sio ki he kole ni pea ‘e fakaangaanga ia ke fakahoko ha savea ki Tonga ni pea na‘e to e me‘a ‘a e Tokoni Palemia ‘o fakahoko‘ a e felotoi koia ke fakahoko ‘a e polokalama fakaangaanga ni ki Vava‘u Lahi.

Na‘e ola lelei ‘a e fakataha ni pea na‘e me‘a mai ‘a e Tokoni Palemia, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu fakataha mo ‘ene kau folau ki Tonga ni ‘i he ‘aho Monite 20 ‘o ‘Okatopa. ‘Oku to e tokanga‘i foki ‘e he Tokoni Palemia mo e Potungaue ki he ‘Atakai, Ma‘u‘anga ivi, Feliuliuaki ‘a e ‘Ea, Fakatamaki Fakaenatula, Fakamatala ‘Ea mo e Ma‘unga‘anga Fakamatala mo e Fetu‘utaki pea ‘oku hounga ‘aupito kiate kitautolu ‘a e ngaue ko eni na‘e fakahoko ‘e he Tokoni Palemia mo e ‘ene kau folau` ni.