Power Generation in Micronesia using Genset Engine.
The situation in Micronesia regarding power generation using genset engines is very similar to that of the Solomon Islands, but with its own specific nuances.
In the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and indeed across most of the Micronesian region, genset engines are the absolute backbone of power generation. They are not merely a backup but the primary source of electricity for the vast majority of the population, businesses, and government operations.
Here is a detailed breakdown of power generation using gensets in Micronesia:
1. The Dominant Role of Gensets
Micronesia’s geographical reality—thousands of small islands scattered across a vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean—makes centralized grid systems impossible outside of the main population centers.
- State Capitals: Each of the four FSM states (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae) has a main power plant in its capital. These plants are not massive, centralized grids like in continental countries, but rather arrays of large, industrial diesel gensets.
- Outer Islands: For the countless remote outer islands and atolls, a single, small community-owned diesel genset often provides electricity for a few hours each evening. In many cases, individual families rely on their own small, portable petrol gensets.
2. Key Characteristics of Genset Use
- Fuel: Almost exclusively diesel. Diesel gensets are preferred for their durability, higher efficiency, and the relative safety of diesel fuel compared to petrol. Diesel is also the standard for marine transport, which is crucial for supply.
- Operation Schedules: Due to the high cost of fuel, power is often not 24/7.
- Main Towns: Capital towns may have near 24/7 power, but with frequent load-shedding or outages.
- Outer Islands: It is extremely common for the community genset to operate only for set hours, typically from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM or midnight. This allows for lighting, charging devices, and powering TVs or radios.
- Scale: The scale ranges from massive 1-2 Megawatt engines in the main state power plants down to 5-50 kW gensets for small villages and 1-3 kW portable gensets for individual households.