Tongatapu power outages may take a while to resolve [1]
Friday, February 9, 2024 - 22:26
Widespread blackouts affecting Tongatapu this week were due to a technical issue within the system that automates power generation coming from different sources such as wind, solar, and diesel. Tonga Power Ltd. said that while they are working to resolve the issues: "Tonga Power does not guarantee that there will be no more further power outages during this resolution period."
The technical issue caused blackouts from 5-9 February.
"The blackouts stemmed from a technical issue within the integration of CoMaps controllers with the diesel gensets, as part of our transition to managing renewable and diesel energy sources to meet the electricity demand for Tongatapu’s customers," Tonga Power stated.
"Our investigation revealed that the adjustment settings of the CoMap controllers are inadequate, leading to the system's inability to respond appropriately to environmental factors."
They said the controllers were designed to automate TPL’s power generation management from different energy sources, as-well as adapting to changing climate events, encountered unforeseen challenges in responding effectively to varying weather conditions such as rainy days, sunny days, and cloudy days.
Tonga Power said they had taken immediate measures to address the situation.
A CoMaps controller contractor from New Zealand, arrived in Tongatapu today, 9 February, and will work together with Tonga Power's power generation team to resolve the technical issue, and conduct a thorough system review to mitigate the risk of further power outages.
Tonga Power said the Contractor is also working alongside their power station engineer to provide further training to ensure effective management of the system.
“Planning for additional technical assistance from the government, is scheduled to arrive next week, to enhance the operation and maintenance of our CoMap Diesel operations.”
Meanwhile, Tonga Power's distribution teams are working closely with power generation teams to uphold network safety standards before restoring power supply to customers.