Tonga confident of reaching 2020 renewable energy goals

Transcript

Tonga's electricity supplier says there is no doubt it will reach the goal of having at least half of the country's energy from renewable sources by 2020.

The Tonga Energy Road Map, or TERM, launched in 2010 aimed to reduce the country's reliance on expensive imported diesel and set the 2020 goal.

Tonga currently produces just 8 percent of its energy from renewable sources - 2 percent more than last year.

The CEO of Tonga Power Limited, Robert Matthews, spoke to Indira Moala.

ROBERT MATTHEWS: I can sit here with my hand on my heart and say to you that it's very achievable. There's no doubt in my mind that it's very very achievable.

INDIRA MOALA: How many solar plants or solar farms are there around the country now?

RM: We have three. There are other solar projects being contemplated. In fact there are two bio-mass projects that are being contemplated and there are two separate wind projects that are being contemplated.

IM: And those projects - once they're all established and running - will effectively help to reach those goals by 2020?

RM: It will help, but it won't get us there. The only way we're going to get there, to be perfectly frank, is to move from a donor-funded mindset to a commercial agreement in place, under a long-term power purchase agreement where we engage companies that are capable of delivering power under what's called an IPP - an Independent Power Purchase agreement. We enter into a PPA which is a Power Purchase Agreement. That's the only way we're really going to move forward and that's my focus at the moment in addition to the donor-funded projects that are already on the drawing board.

IM: Currently Tonga Power Limited is a state-owned asset, will that affect that?

RM: No, we are a State-owned enterprise and we are in a position where we are able to enter into a commercial agreement with a third party to effectively build, own, operate and provide power back to Tonga Power on a long term agreement.

IM: How long do you think it'll take to reach that stage? in terms of going in to the commercial agreement?

RM: Probably to answer that, as much as we appreciate the grant funding - and it's all very welcome, I mean there's been some excellent projects that have been delivered on the ground - those projects can take many many years to actually become a reality. Commercial projects on the other hand can be negotiated, agreed, built and delivered and commissioned within a period of about 18 months.

IM: Is there anything else you'd like to add in terms of the progress in working towards reaching those goals in 2020?

RM: No, other than to say that there's no doubt that the Government is very focussed on introducing 50 percent and above in terms of renewable energy. I'm very focussed on delivering that. That the TPL board is very focussed on that. Probably now seems to be the time where everybody is aligned with the same focus to move forward to bring these projects to reality. And as I say, that means stepping outside of the comfort zone and building relationships with commercial, tier one, renewable energy players to make that happen.