Funafuti, Tuvalu: The installation of Tuvalu's inaugural Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV) system has been successfully completed, with this cutting-edge system seeing 184 solar panels positioned on Tafua Pond in Funafuti.

Like many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Tuvalu has been heavily reliant on imported fuel for its diesel-based power generation system. Through this new FSPV system 174.2 megawatts per hour of electricity will be generated each year, meeting two percent of Funafuti’s annual energy demand.

This innovative clean energy source will reduce the country’s reliance on diesel-powered energy generation by 47,100 litres per year – a saving of approximately US$68,000.

The Facilitation of the Achievement of the Sustainable National Energy Targets of Tuvalu Project (FASNETT)– implemented by the United Nations Development Programme Pacific Office in Fiji in partnership with the Government of Tuvalu is supported by the Global Environment Facility. The project aims to facilitate the development and utilisation of feasible renewable energy resources and applications of energy efficient technologies in Tuvalu.

The disruptive impact of global fuel prices has had significant repercussions on both local businesses and households, particularly in the Tuvalu’s remote islands. The Government of Tuvalu has been passionately engaged in harnessing renewable energy solutions that align with the country's climate mitigation agenda.

With the successful installation of the FSPV system, the Government of Tuvalu draws closer to its national energy objective of achieving a complete reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity generation sector by 2025, in alignment with the country's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).

General Manager of Tuvalu Energy Corporation, Mafalu Lotolua, underscored the Government of Tuvalu's pledge toward the use of innovative solutions, and stressed that without such action Tuvalu will continue to be hit hardest in the face of global climate change implications.

“This aspiration not only charts a promising path for the growth of renewable energy and energy-efficient enterprises but also serves as a testament to Tuvalu's unwavering commitment to sustainable methodologies as we strive for a greener, brighter future,” he said.