Tonga gets new wind power project – funded and built by China

27/08/2024 CEN_net BRI, BRICS, & Global South~, Energy & Climate Change~, Environment, Biodiversity & Pollution~, Main~ 0

Funded by China through its aid program a wind power project is under construction by the Energy China Gezhouba Group in Tonga. It’s expected to be completed and handed over to the government of Tonga by November.

The project aims to be a major contributor to the Government of Tonga’s goal of transforming its energy sector by achieving a 70 percent share of renewables in the country’s energy generation mix by 2030.

The China-Aid funded Wind Power Project in Tonga will have an installed capacity of 2.25MW and is designed to install 3 units each with a capacity of 750kW. The project is expected to generate 3.61 GWh of on-grid electricity annually.

While pursuing its own clean and low-carbon development, China has made an active contribution to the global energy transition and response to climate change. On March 11, 2024 Ruan Dewen, Chargé dʼAffaires of China’s Embassy in Tonga said:

“China has tried its best to help developing countries improve their ability to address climate change. We have inked 46 South-South cooperation documents with 39 developing countries in the field of climate change, and trained approximately 2,300 officials and technical personnel for more than 120 developing countries.”

The Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian archipelago in the South Pacific, consisting of 169 islands. Historically it has been highly dependent on imported fossil fuels for its energy needs. As a small island developing state, Tonga is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and ocean acidification.

However, the potential of wind energy in Tonga’s path to sustainable development is now being explored, as the country seeks to harness the power of its abundant wind resources.

Recognizing the potential of wind energy as a viable alternative to fossil fuels, the Tongan government has set ambitious targets for renewable energy adoption. The country’s Strategic Development Framework (2015-2025) aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix to 50% by 2020 and 70% by 2030.

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