Solar PV hybrid power systems have been installed on 12 islands in Thaa atoll, which have now begun generating energy.
A special ceremony was held in Thaa Atoll Kinbidhoo to inaugurate the systems, attended by Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim and Fenaka Corporation Managing Director Muaz Mohamed Rasheed.
The Ministry of Environment announced that the project involves installing a total of 2.5 MW of solar PV hybrid power systems and 1.9 MW electricity battery storage systems across these 12 islands.
The installations are part of the government's Preparing Outer Islands for Sustainable Energy Development (POISED) project, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
With these installations, a total of 67.5 MW of solar PV systems have now been set up in rural areas. The project is expected to save 1.2 million liters of diesel per year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3,300 tonnes annually.
"The project is part of the government's efforts to protect the environment and generate sustainable energy in the country. It is expected to further improve the electricity supply in the rural areas of the province," the Ministry said in a press release.
Under the POISED project, diesel power plants on 160 islands in the Maldives are being converted to solar PV hybrid systems with battery storage. To date, the project has been completed in 72 villages, totaling 13.4 MW of solar PV and 9.8 MWh of battery storage.
Additionally, the "Accelerating Sustainable System Development Using Renewable Energy (ASSURE)" project was launched last year with ADB's assistance to increase private investment in renewable energy. The ministry announced this week that it is seeking investors for the project.
The government aims to make 33 percent of Maldives' energy generation renewable within the next five years and has recently announced several other projects under this policy.
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