Powering resilient islands: Grid modernisation toolkit for SIDS

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are at the forefront of the global energy transition, yet the shift from fossil fuel dependence to variable renewable energy (VRE) presents significant technical challenges for small, isolated island power systems. As the share of solar and wind generation increases, legacy infrastructure faces constraints related to frequency stability, voltage control, and system flexibility.

This grid modernisation toolkit for SIDS synthesises insights from IRENA’s extensive technical grid assessments to provide a comprehensive framework for overcoming these operational hurdles. The report offers a pathway to transform aging power systems into resilient, modern grids capable of accommodating high shares of renewables without compromising reliability. By providing the technical and regulatory blueprints necessary to operationalise national energy and climate targets, the report directly supports the implementation of the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative (LHI).

The report provides recommendations for targeted Infrastructure upgrades, including the deployment of enabling technologies such as battery energy storage systems (BESS), grid-forming inverters and advanced energy management systems (EMS). It also offers operational strategies for advanced forecasting, updated protection schemes, and demand-side management (DSM).

Additional recommendations cover enabling regulatory frameworks, including guidelines for reforming grid codes, restructuring tariffs to reflect cost-causality, and streamlining permitting processes to facilitate private sector investment. Finally, the report offers a transformation roadmap comprising ten Actions for Transformation to guide the transition, spanning areas from reactive grid management to proactive, long-term planning.