New Tonga renewable-based mini-grid to be developed

The project is a collaboration of the ADB, and the governments of Tonga and Australia.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the governments of Tonga and Australia have partnered to develop a renewable-based mini-grid.

The Vava’u hybrid mini-grid forms part of the cofinanced Tonga Renewable Energy Project, cofinanced by the Green Climate Fund. 

“The Government of Tonga must be commended for its efforts toward reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in promoting clean energy sources,” ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office Regional Director Aaron Batten said. 

“ADB is a long-standing partner of Tonga in the energy sector and our commitment to this partnership continues.”

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The hybrid mini-grid is expected to enhance the electricity supply services in Vava’u by providing clean, reliable, and uninterrupted power supply. 

The project is also in line with the Government of Tonga’s plan for decarbonizing its electricity sector. 

The mini-grid comprises a solar photovoltaic generation system of 0.3-megawatt capacity and a battery energy storage system of 1.0 MW/2.0 megawatt-hour capacity to manage the renewable energy intermittency and also for load shifting—saving daytime generation for later usage. 

The hybrid mini-grid also includes control systems to efficiently manage renewable energy generation and maximize battery storage utilization.

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