Tonga outer islands get USD 5.8m to install 1.32 MWp of PV

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and two of its partners have extended USD 5.8 million (EUR 5.1m) in financing to Tonga to support the installation of 1.32 MWp of photovoltaic (PV) capacity in nine outer islands by end-2019.

“The additional financing will allow Tonga to reduce power distribution losses and fuel consumption while delivering the same amount of electricity to consumers,” ADB Pacific Department energy specialist, Woo Yul Lee, noted. At present, more than 90% of Tonga’s electricity needs are met with diesel imports.

In a press release on Thursday, ADB said that it is providing USD 1.44 million of the total as a grant under its concessional Asian Development Fund. Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) and the Second Danish Cooperation Fund for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Rural Areas are supplying EUR 3 million (USD 3.4m) and USD 750,000, respectively. In turn, the local government will commit USD 670,000 million for its existing Outer Island Renewable Energy Project, as well.

The funding will be used for the construction of solar arrays on Eua, Vava’u, Ha’apai, four outer islands in the Ha’apai group -- Uiha, Nomuka, Ha’ano, Ha’afeva -- and on Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou. The PV systems will be hooked to both state- and community-owned power distribution networks.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.882)

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.133)

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