Electricity in Tonga in 2022

In 2022, Tonga's electricity consumption was heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with more than 85% of its electricity derived from such sources. Low-carbon, or clean energy, made up the remaining 12.5%, entirely from solar power. This means that solar energy is the only source of low-carbon electricity in Tonga, which indicates a significant opportunity for expansion in this area. The current situation highlights the need for Tonga to diversify its electricity sources and reduce its heavy dependence on fossil fuels in order to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and air pollution.

Suggestions

To increase low-carbon electricity generation, Tonga could benefit significantly by expanding its existing solar infrastructure. Given that solar energy already accounts for all of Tonga's clean electricity, increasing capacity would be a logical step. Tonga can also draw lessons from countries like Uruguay and Cape Verde, which significantly harness wind energy, accounting for more than a third and a substantial quarter of their electricity generation, respectively. While wind and nuclear energy are prominent in countries such as France, Denmark, and Slovakia, which are far from Tonga geographically, they demonstrate the effectiveness of transitioning to low-carbon energy at a larger scale. For Tonga, exploring possibilities for harnessing wind energy in conjunction with solar would align well with successful global practices in similar-sized regions.

History

Historically, Tonga has experienced no change in its low-carbon electricity generation from solar power since 2017, with a static level of zero change in generation each year leading up to 2022. The lack of growth over these years suggests that there has been limited investment or development in solar energy expansion in the region. This plateau in solar-generated electricity underscores the potential for initiating and investing in solar projects now, setting the groundwork for increased low-carbon electricity in the future, which is both crucial for energy security and environmental sustainability.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources