Power prices are affecting communities around the world and in the small island nation of Tonga, home to just over 100,000 people, they are feeling the pinch.
Key points:
- The Kingdom of Tonga has signed an MoU with Seabased to trial wave energy technology
- The 10-megawatt wave park will be built off the main island of Tongatapu
- It is hoped the wave park will help eliminate the use of oil and diesel
"I think it's way too high. Very high in comparison with current salary ranges here in Tonga at the moment," Tonga resident Mapa Taumalolo said.
Mr Taumalolo, who has previously worked with the energy sector, said the rising cost of electricity was seeing families go without power.
"There's been mass complaints from customers and [high electricity prices have] had a huge impact on the cost of living and inflation as a whole," he said.
"As a result, there has been a reduction in daily energy consumption in everyday households."
According to UK-based aggregate website Cable, Tonga's electricity is the 13th most expensive in the world, at an average cost of US35 cents (52 cents) per kilowatt hour (kWh).
The research, released in late 2021, analysed 230 countries and found Oceania was the most expensive region in the world, with an average of US30 cents per kWh.
Tonga is heavily dependent on expensive, imported diesel fuels for power generation but has committed to a goal of generating 70 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
While some families are turning to solar, Mr Taumalolo said it didn't necessarily mean cheaper prices.
"We do not have the right configuration and the right set up for the exact renewable energy system," he said.
"From my previous career, I was able to witness that having these solar panels run on the grid was actually more expensive than running off diesel which was quite unexpected."
The Kingdom of Tonga has now come up with a bold new plan.
In March, it signed a memorandum of understanding with an Irish-based wave energy company called Seabased to develop a 10-megawatt wave power park off the main island of Tongatapu.
Click here to read the full article by Kyle Evans and Melissa Maykin on Australian Broadcasting Corporation News.
