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Entura welcomes new milestone in Tuvalu’s renewable energy journey

December 5, 2019

Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura welcomes the announcement of a $6 million grant from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support Tuvalu’s journey towards its goal of 100% renewable electricity generation by 2025.

With funding from the ADB, Entura has been supporting the Pacific nation’s renewable energy journey with planning and feasibility studies for solar and battery projects, which are now set to become reality through the Increasing Access to Renewable Energy Project, funded by the grant.

Like many island nations in the Pacific, Tuvalu’s nine islands are facing the urgent threats of climate change. Transitioning from emissions intensive and expensive diesel generation to greater proportions of renewable energy will contribute to the country’s environmental targets, climate resilience and sustainability, as well as the affordability and reliability of its electricity services.

The grant will enable installation of rooftop solar and battery storage systems to boost renewables from 15 per cent to 32 per cent in Tuvalu’s capital, Funafuti. As well, ground-mounted solar on the islands of Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, and Nui will increase their proportion of renewable generation to more than 90 per cent. Entura performed due diligence of social, environmental, financial, economic and technical aspects of the projects to satisfy ADB requirements for awarding the grant to Tuvalu.

Entura has also been involved with the preparation of tender documents and managing the tender process on behalf of Tuvalu Electricity Corporation to procure the contractors and equipment for the Increasing Access to Renewable Energy Project, with tenders closing in early December.

Once complete, an average of 35 per cent of Tuvalu’s day-time electricity is expected to be generated from solar, with short, regular periods of 100 per cent renewables.

“It is very gratifying to see our preliminary work in Tuvalu move into its next stages,” said Tammy Chu, Entura’s Managing Director.

“We will welcome any further opportunities to support Tuvalu’s energy journey, drawing on our extensive experience of planning and implementing renewable generation and storage projects in many other Pacific nations, as well as in Australia and South-East Asia.”

Over the years, Entura has successfully delivered a range of renewable energy solutions across the Pacific including remote island projects in the Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga and the Federated States of Micronesia. The firm has developed a world-leading approach to off-grid and fringe-of-grid megawatt-scale development through its experience with hybrid renewables projects. Entura has recently been awarded the construction supervision phase of Tonga’s renewable energy program, making it the only consultant to have worked on all phases of any ADB project in the Pacific.