President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has revealed that the administration’s efforts to develop renewable energy will allow 39 islands to completely shut down their fossil fuel power generators within the next two years. He made the remarks delivering the Presidential Address at the Parliament of Maldives.
In his address, President Solih said powerhouses have been built and completed in line with modern standards for the 76 islands where the need is most urgent. He said that the installation of 313 generators in power stations across a total of 144 islands has been completed and that these are future-proof developments that will cater to the demand for the next 50 years.
Additionally, President Solih said the most important solution to the demand for energy is to be found in renewable energy. As such, he said that powerhouses that operate fossil fuel generators across 39 islands of the Maldives can be completely shut down within the next two years. He also said that the completion of the project will reduce the country's fuel consumption, which will in turn lower the cost of electricity. He added that funds will go directly into the people’s pockets if the price of electricity goes down.
Furthermore, President Solih the administration will have established Solar PV systems that can produce a total of 42.6 megawatts of solar renewable energy within these five years, which means a reduction of 50 tonnes of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere a year. He also said that the completion of the project will save approximately USD20 million from the fuel bill.