Cook Islands: Renewable Energy Sector Project

Energy / Renewable energy generation - solar

The Cook Islands is a Pacific island country divided into two island groups with an estimated total population of 18,600 people. The Northern group consists of seven low-lying and sparsely populated coral atolls, while the Southern group consists of eight fertile volcanic islands. About 92% of the population lives in the Southern group islands including Rarotonga, the main island. Economic development is hindered by the country's limited size, isolation and distance from markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure.

The Cook Islands is heavily dependent on imported fuels. The total fuel import bill of the Cook Islands in 2012 was NZ$34.6 million or 25% of total imports and 9% of gross domestic product. Diesel-powered generators constitute about 99% of the total electricity generating capacity. The total installed power generation capacity in the Cook Islands is 11.75 MW with a distribution network comprising 80 km of 11 kV underground cables and 200 km of 0.415 kV low voltage distribution lines. On the major islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki, nearly 99% of all households are grid connected, 8% have additional solar photovoltaic home systems, and 3% use small diesel generators. On the outer islands, about 60% of households are grid connected, and 43% have SHS. Current electricity demand in the Cook Islands is around 30.0 GWh, which is forecast to modestly grow to 38.5 GWh by 2020. The Southern group is the dominant load center that accounts for 98% of current and future load demands.

Delivery of energy services is undertaken by state-owned utilities on Rarotonga and Aitutaki islands, and by island administration committees on the other outer islands, which are vertically-integrated electricity authority operating generation, transmission, distribution and retail of electricity. Assets for energy services are owned and overseen by the Cook Islands Investment Corporation, the government's holding company grouping the state-owned enterprises.

Increased energy security in an environmentally sustainable manner

Increased access to a higher share of electricity generated from renewable energy sources

2022, Q2: Procurement for the Operations and Maintenance has been ongoing and targeted to be completed by 2022.

2021, Q3: On Rarotonga Airport West BESS, rectification of defects remains on hold due to COVID-19 travel restrictions; on Rarotonga Power Station BESS Lot 1, development and design is complete. Civil Works on site was completed and clean-up and demobilization from the site has been carried out.

2021, Q2: Completion of pending work on Mauke and Mitiaro being explored by government in consultation with ADB.

2020, Q4: The outstanding distribution system contract, house metering, network extensions, and power correction for Mauke and Mitiaro have not commenced due to the Vovid-19 pandemic travel restrictions; The Aitutaki Power Station reported no issues during this quarter; For the GCF-funded Rarotonga Airport West BESS, all work have ceased and planned rectification of defects remain on hold due to the pandemic restrictions. Rarotonga Airport South BESS, on the other hand, is online and maintains constant state of charge and is configured to provide network frequency and voltage support.

2020, Q2: GEF-funded and GCF-funded (Lots 1 and 2) BESS have all been awarded already.

2019, Q3: Midterm Review of the project has been completed. Baseline projections have been revised to reflect implementation updates. BER for the GCF Lot 1 is submitted to ADB on 23 October with target award in Q4 2019.

2019, Q2: With Rarotonga BESS (Lot 2) awarded in 2018, Rarotonga BESS (Lot 1) re-tendering has been ongoing. Additional consulting services for O&M also being explored.

2018, Q4: All islands (Phase 1) are now fully running on the new renewable power systems.

2018, Q2: Mitiaro completed; Civil work array on Mauke with the remainder of electrical install in the early part of the quarter; Work on Atiu has moved more quickly than expected with building 90% complete and solar arrays complete after some adjustments to correct minor installation defects; On Mangaia, the final project site, where construction commenced in the later part of the quarter after some delays due to adjustment of site levels.

2017, Q4: The additional financing to the project from GCF has been approved on 30 Oct 2017.

2017, Q3: The civil works component of Phase 1 Turnkey Contract was approved and added as a variation to Phase 1 Turnkey Contract; The Rarotonga Battery Energy Storage System, which will be solely funded by a grant from the Global Environment Facility, was awarded in June 2017.

2017, Q1: The Electricity Distribution System MV and LV Upgrade for Mauke and Mitiaro Islands was awarded in Mar 2017; and the civil works component for the Phase 1 subprojects, initially a separate package, is now being integrated to the Phase 1 Turnkey Contract.

2016, Q4: The Phase 1 Turnkey Contract (covering Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro, and Atiu) was awarded in Aug 2016; the Aitutaki subproject tendering is on hold as of Dec 2016; and the Rarotonga subproject was requested by the government to be omitted from Phase 2.

2016, Q2: For the Phase 1 Turnkey Package, initial negotiations have commenced with the only substantially responsive tender which includes negotiations on the currency of bid. The substantially responsive bidder has also been asked to extend the bid validity period and bank guarantee by one (1) month due to delays in confirming the Mauke land acquisition.

2015: Core and non-core subprojects are now being referred to as Phase 1 and Phase 2 subprojects, repectively. Phase 1, aside from Mangaia, Mauke and Mitiaro, now also includes Atiu.

1. Solar PV power system development for four Phase 1 and for one Phase 2; BESS subproject developed; and additional installation of 3 units of BESS with a preliminary capacity of 3.0 MW and 12.0 MWh

2. Institutional strengthening and project management support

All Phase 1 subprojects (islands Mauke, Mitiaro Mangaia, and Atiu) have now been fully running on the new renewable power systems. Atiu was included in Phase 1 turnkey contract awarded in Aug 2016; Contract awarded for the Aitutaki subproject in July 2018; and the Rarotonga subproject was requested by the government to be omitted from Phase 2 (noncore subprojects) approved by ADB, on a no objection basis, in Feb 2017.

For Phase 2 subprojects (Aitutaki, Rarotonga), the systems have been operating since September 2019 and no issues have been reported since.

GEF-funded and GCF-funded (Lots 1 and 2) BESS have all been awarded:

On Rarotonga Airport West BESS, Completion Certificate was issued in October 2019, all work following has ceased and rectification of defects remains on hold due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

On Rarotonga Airport South BESS Lot 2, it is online and maintains constant state of charge and is configured to provide network frequency and voltage support.

On Rarotonga Power Station BESS Lot 1, development and design is complete. Civil Works on site was completed and clean-up and demobilization from the site has been carried out.