Nuku’alofa, Tonga

The Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) has successfully concluded a technical mission to Tonga aimed at strengthening the country's preparedness for electric mobility and supporting the implementation of the Tonga Energy Roadmap Plus (TERM Plus).

Conducted from 13–17 July 2026, the mission was led by PCREEE e-mobility consultant Mr. Andrew Campbell [Fuel Technology Ltd] in close collaboration with the Tonga Department of Energy (DoE). The mission sought to assess Tonga's current e-mobility landscape, identify implementation challenges and opportunities, address selected knowledge gaps, and strengthen coordination among key stakeholders as the country progresses towards a cleaner and more sustainable transport sector.

Over the course of the week, Mr. Campbell held one-on-one consultations with a broad cross-section of stakeholders representing the public and private sectors. These included the Tonga Department of Energy, Vaitohi Enterprises, Siale Hola Electrical, the National Energy Committee Advisory Team (NECAT), Tonga Power Limited (TPL), TISA Insurance Ltd, the Tonga Energy Commission (TEC), the Ministry of Infrastructure's World Bank Project, and Spareparts Zone Tonga.

The consultations provided valuable insights into Tonga's readiness for Electric Vehicle (EV) deployment, covering topics such as charging infrastructure, electricity network requirements, vehicle importation and servicing, insurance, technical skills development, and institutional coordination. Drawing on Mr Campbell’s previous Pacific e-mobility experience, including earlier EV-related work in Tonga, the mission also provided an opportunity to update understanding of current progress and identify practical steps to help move the sector forward. Stakeholders also discussed opportunities to strengthen local capacity, improve enabling policies, and support future EV demonstration projects.

The mission concluded with a national stakeholder workshop that was held on Thursday 16th July 2026, where preliminary findings were presented and participants discussed priority actions to strengthen coordination and support the next phase of Tonga's e-mobility development. The consultations highlighted the importance of continued collaboration among government, industry and development partners to create an enabling environment for electric mobility.

The mission builds on PCREEE's long-standing partnership with Tonga in advancing sustainable transport and reflects its regional mandate to support Pacific Island countries in developing practical, coordinated approaches to e-mobility. The technical support was delivered through SPC's Climate Change Flagship Programme, funded by the Government of New Zealand.

The findings and recommendations from the mission will be compiled into a report that will help inform future investments, policy development and demonstration projects, contributing to Tonga's vision of a cleaner, more resilient and sustainable transport sector.

Further information on the mission is contained here - Technical Support to Strengthen Tonga's E-mobility Effort | PCREEE [2] 

photo taken: 16th July 2026 during the workshop

​photo taken: 16th July 2026 Andrew's presentation during the half-day workshop meeting