Residents of Kotu, Ha’apai can look forward to a brighter future as testing of the island’s new solar photovoltaic (PV) mini-grid has been a success.
The mini-grid project, led by the Tongan Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Information (MEIDECC) Energy Department, is expected to be commissioned on Tuesday, June 11th, 2024. The project began late last year.
This development project marks a major upgrade for Kotu homes, which previously had limited access to electricity for only a certain number of hours per day. But the new solar PV mini-grid will now provide clean and reliable electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
It is not yet clear whether all homes in Kotu will benefit from this mini-grid. The 2021 Census reported that only 63% of the 570 households on the Haapai 13 Constituency were powered from the main electricity line. Kotu island with 146 people living in 31 homes is amongst the 19 villages making up this Constituency.
The villages of Kotu, ‘O’ua, Mo’unga’one and Tungua from Ha’apai will enjoy a mini-grid each, with Kotu the first to experience it.
The project is a collaborative effort, made possible with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian Government, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Tongan Government (MEIDECC), and Tonga Power Limited.
This is a significant step towards Tonga’s clean energy goals and improved living standards for outer island communities. The Kotu island solar PV mini-grid paves the way for a more sustainable future, powered by the sun.
