A 1.2 megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system established in Baa Eydhafushi has been officially inaugurated.
The system was developed under the Accelerating Renewable Energy Integration and Sustainable Energy (ARISE) project, implemented with assistance from the World Bank.
Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy Ali Shareef officially inaugurated the system at a ceremony held in Eydhafushi.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Shareef highlighted the importance of establishing such systems and the economic and social benefits they bring to islands. He said the system would significantly reduce expenditure on fuel, allowing the money saved to be used to facilitate other projects.
The project was implemented by State Electric Company Limited (STELCO), which provides electricity services on the island, as part of the Government’s efforts to reduce the Maldives’ reliance on diesel for electricity generation.
Eydhafushi, the capital of Baa Atoll, has a population of 3,539. With the new system, the island will have the capacity to generate 33 per cent of its total electricity consumption from solar energy, equivalent to enough clean energy to meet the electricity needs of approximately 441 households.
The project, carried out with an investment of approximately USD 3.63 million, includes a 1.2 megawatt ground-mounted solar PV system and 1.5 megawatt-hours of battery storage capacity. It also includes a modern energy management system designed to fully balance solar-generated energy, battery storage and diesel generators while maintaining grid stability.
Before the system was established, Eydhafushi’s powerhouse used two million litres of diesel annually to generate electricity. The new system is expected to save approximately 655,000 litres of diesel each year, reducing the island’s annual fuel expenditure by approximately USD 518,807.
Solar systems are planned to be established on 14 islands across the Maldives under the project. The initiative forms part of efforts to reduce reliance on diesel in the islands and expand environmentally friendly and sustainable energy systems.