Tonga Renewable Energy Project under the Pacific Islands Renewable Energy Investment Program

Shifting electricity production in Tonga to a low-carbon, climate resilient path.

Tonga is the second most climate vulnerable country in the world. Like many other Small Island Developing States in the Pacific, Tonga’s energy source is almost exclusively imported diesel. It accounts for 90 percent of its electricity generation. The Government of Tonga has formulated targets to transform its energy sector by achieving a 50 percent share of renewables in the country’s energy generation mix by 2020 and 70 percent by 2030. However, achieving these targets require catalytic investments to transform the country’s energy infrastructure.

This project aims to help Tonga move away from fossil fuels and shift to renewables. The project will deliver utility-scale storage systems to provide base load response and grid stability, paving the way for more renewable energy integration in the main island, while green mini-grids will be installed in the outer islands. While stabilising the grid, this project will particularly address the intermittency of variable renewable energy sources, thus laying the foundation for private sector investments in renewable energy in Tonga. 

The project has an estimated lifespan of 25 years.