Home > Bulletin > August 2014 (pre-SIDS) > Tokelau’s energy options (lead in Pacific IBM, August 2014)

Tokelau’s energy options (lead in Pacific IBM, August 2014)

Tokelau features as cover story in Pacific Island Business Magazine (August 2014 Edition)

With almost all their electricity supply sourced from the sun, the 1,400 islanders of Tokelau are a living testament to what the German-born but English economist the late E F Schumacher advocated in his book ‘Small is Beautiful’ in 1973. Dumping finite fossil fuel for solar energy is saving the island NZ$900,000 a year. It also earned the island territory New Zealand’s 2014 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority Award.
Modern and appropriate technology is also driving Tokelau’s determination to have its own ship to provide the only transport link to the closest international sea and air ports in Samoa’s capital, Apia.
The new 500 gross tonne boat will be equipped with kites to help power it, and at the same time cut fuel consumption by 20 per cent.
Expected to cost NZ$20 million, the 60-passenger capacity vessel is under construction in a shipyard in Bangladesh.

By Samisoni Pareti

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