Power demand in Malé increases by 50 MW every five years: STELCO MD

State Electric Company (Stelco) Managing Director Hussain Fahumee stated today that electricity demand in the Greater Malé Region increases by approximately 50 megawatts (MW) every five years.

Fahumee announced that the 50 MW power plant located in Hulhumalé will be shut down temporarily between 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM tomorrow for essential maintenance work. This planned outage is aimed at ensuring a more stable and reliable power supply in the long term.

Fahumee noted that the foundation stone for the existing 50 MW power plant was laid several years ago. He added that if an additional 50 MW plant had been commissioned in the years since, power outages during maintenance work could have been avoided.

He explained that building a new power plant requires significant investment—between USD 100 million and USD 200 million—and that financing is often dependent on securing support from international financial institutions. “You have to look at where that financing will come from,” he added.

Fahumee also mentioned that while 17 MW of additional capacity was added to the Greater Malé grid last year, it was only a temporary fix. The government, is now working on plans to establish a new 100 MW power plant.

According to Fahumee, the new power plant is expected to be constructed in Thilafushi rather than in Malé or Hulhumalé. However, ongoing construction of the Thila-Malé Bridge has posed challenges to the government's original timeline.

Fahumee also acknowledged the broader economic challenges faced by the government since taking office, noting that such infrastructure projects require time, planning, and capital.

"Our goal is to overcome these challenges and move forward," he said.

He highlighted the unique situation in Malé, pointing out that unlike many major cities around the world, the Maldives does not operate a national electricity grid. "In Malé, all electricity generation is handled solely by Stelco. This creates additional challenges in ensuring consistent service delivery."

While electricity and water are basic necessities, Fahumee said the public is understandably concerned about outages. “We’re working to minimize the duration of these power cuts, but ultimately, everything comes down to funding.”

Power outages were recorded in parts of Malé and Hulhumalé on June 1 and June 9. Stelco has since said the root cause of those outages has been identified and that corrective measures are underway.