Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) is gearing up to provide support services to vessels including fuel and ice amid reorganisation efforts of Malé’s North Harbour.
The overhaul stems from MPL's assumption of operational control in early July over the harbour area extending to the fish market, formerly administered by the Malé City Council. With this transfer, both the commercial port and north harbour now fall under MPL's purview.
Speaking on PSM News’ ‘Raajje Miadhu’ programme, MPL’s Assistant General Manager Ahmed Hamdullah Rasheed said the state-owned company is preparing to provide support services to fishermen and boats in the North Harbour area including fuel and ice.
"We have decided to provide ice to fishermen at affordable rates by setting up an ice plant in the area. And we want to cater to the request for fuel by providing fuel at the lowest possible rates as a service rather than from a money making mindset,” he explained.
The quaywall in the harbour previously accommodated 32 to 34 vessels, but the reconfigured basin will handle approximately 99 simultaneously, MPL had said.
That increased capacity has been organised into discrete berthing zones to facilitate smoother operations. MPL has designated 25 berths for waiting, 54 for cargo and passenger traffic, and 20 for fishing vessels. The cross-jetty has also been repurposed to streamline the offloading of fish before departure.
The operational shift is expected to ease persistent congestion, with MPL indicating that vessels, previously subject to five-day waits for quaywall access, will now secure berths within one to two days under the revised system.
Alongside the capacity expansion, MPL is introducing a series of infrastructural upgrades aimed at enhancing service delivery and maritime safety. Efforts are underway to zone the harbour by function, while repair work addresses infrastructure that has been in use for over 14 years.