South Tarawa PV and energy storage policy

Does South Tarawa need solar power?

Constrained renewable energy development and lack of private sector participation. While grid-connected solar power is the least-cost renewable energy option for South Tarawa and there is significant resource potential of 554 MW, deployment has been limited.

Does South Tarawa need battery storage?

The current power system in South Tarawa already has installed or planned grid connected PV capacity to meet some of the peak demand, but grid reliability will increasingly be put at risk as additional intermittent generation is added to the grid. Thus, to ensure system stability, battery storage needs to be deployed in the immediate future.

How much power does South Tarawa need?

The photovoltaic systems account for 22% of installed capacity but supply only around 9% of demand on South Tarawa; diesel generation supplies the remaining 91%. The PUB serves more than 57,000 people in South Tarawa, which has the highest demand at 24.7 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2019.

How will strep impact South Tarawa?

STREP will allow the South Tarawa grid to achieve 44% renewable energy penetration, higher than the Kiribati Integrated Energy Roadmap (KIER) target for South Tarawa, which is 36% RE penetration by 20251. Increased solar generation will benefit the economy through reduced importation of fossil fuels and placing downward pressure on tariffs.