Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna has stated that the government needs the assistance and participation of the private sector and the international community to achieve its goal of making the Maldives a net-zero country. She made the remarks while speaking at the commencement ceremony of the 5MW Solar Photovoltaics (PV) installation on Hulhumale' link road.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Shauna said that important efforts are being made to reduce the dependence on fuel in the provision of electricity services in the Maldives. However, she said that there are still challenges, adding that the government needs the participation and assistance of the private sector and the international community to reach its goal of becoming a net-zero country by 2030. She stressed that the Maldives is an environmentally sensitive country and that efforts to adapt to climate change and protect the environment should still be enhanced by making use of the latest technological resources available.
The project is conducted under the Accelerating Sustainable Private Investment in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) implemented by the environment ministry with the assistance of the World Bank. Minister Shauna, Vice President of the World Bank for South Asia Region Martin Raiser, and officials from the World Bank, State Electric Company Limited (STELCO), and Housing Development Corporation (HDC) installed the first panels at the structure.
A total of 21 companies have expressed interest in setting up the ASPIRE 5MW Solar PV installation on the link road. Ensys Company Limited of Thailand won the tender for the project by submitting the lowest price in addition to technical and financial capabilities through a competitive tender. It is the largest number of solar PV systems in the country under a single contract so far. The project will significantly reduce the government's expenditure on fuel and is estimated to save the state between USD800,000 to USD1 million on fuel costs and generate 7.3 million units of electricity annually.