The Maldives Inaugurates Solar Hybrid Systems on 25 Islands in Raa and Baa Atolls
The Government of Maldives, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), has officially inaugurated 6.4 megawatts (MW) of new solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid power systems across 25 islands in Raa and Baa Atolls. This milestone is a significant leap forward in the nation's journey to enhance energy security, reduce its dependency on imported diesel, and meet its ambitious climate goals. The inauguration ceremony was held today on the island of R. Kinolhas, marking the completion of a key subproject under the "Preparing Outer Islands for Sustainable Energy Development" (POISED) project.
The main objective of the POISED project is to implement solar PV hybrid systems in 160 islands of the Maldives. Under the project, so far 72 islands are completed and are in operation. In these islands, a total of 13.4 MWp solar PV, 10.6 MWh battery energy storage systems (BESS), together with energy management systems, are installed. In addition, 27 MW of diesel gensets were also provided.
Today we are launching the following 25 islands' solar PV hybrid systems. In these islands, a total of 6.36 MWp solar PV and 10 MWh battery energy storage systems (BESS), together with energy management systems, are installed. These systems will generate 10.4 GWh of clean energy annually. That translates to saving over 3 million litres of diesel and reducing 8,400 metric tons of CO₂ emissions every single year.
With the completion of these islands, the project has been completed on 97 islands, delivering approximately 19.8 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity and 20.6 MWh of battery energy storage. Under the project, additional work on 23 islands is in progress and expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.
The POISED project supports National Energy Targets. The Government of Maldives has set an ambitious target to derive 33% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2028, as reflected in the country's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).