Niue Power’s General Manager Brandon Kulatea hopes that the work on the new power station at Tuila will be completed by the beginning of next year.
He told BCN news that unfortunately there have been delays for the past few months due to Covid 19 and lockdowns which have impacted supplies getting to the island.
“I’m hoping to get it completed by the beginning of next year but we have been delayed for several months now due to Covid 19 and restrictions on suppliers and shipping”, says Kulatea.
The $2 million dollars power station project is funded by the Australian government as part of their assistance to improving the power supply on the island.
The powerhouse is part of the work Australia is doing that is of interest and value to Niue in its efforts to adapt and mitigate climate change.
This week, the Australian High Commission’s social media page showed an image of the work in progress at the building site of the new power station at Tuila in Alofi.
The statement says that “While it’s not renewable energy, Australia’s support towards the construction of the new power station provides much-needed assistance to improving Niue’s production of electricity and ensuring Niue is able to maximise the existing solar array.”
The old power station is no longer fit for purpose, after several flooding incidents in recent years. The new station is located next door to the old one.
The contractor is Shop Exports with Mautama Constructions.