Maldives' First Floating 'Solar City' to Power Malé Region Within Two Years

The Maldives' first major project under its new Special Economic Zone law, a utility-scale floating solar power facility called 'Solar City', is on schedule for completion within two years. Tourism and Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim announced the timeline, stating the development is crucial for national energy security. The project, located east of Kuda Bandos in the greater Malé region, is designed to address the capital area's growing electricity demand, which currently stands at 120 megawatts. It represents a strategic shift away from heavily subsidized fossil fuel generation. "This is a utility-scale system designed to provide critical energy security," Minister Thoriq said at a press conference. "With the electrical load in Malé presently at approximately 120 megawatts and continuously rising, an infrastructure project of this nature will significantly bolster our energy resilience." The integrated facility will include advanced transformers, dedicated battery storage, and a 4.5-kilometre submarine cable to connect to Hulhumalé. Fully financed by foreign investment, the project will operate on a commercial model where the State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) purchases the generated power. Officials are finalizing the Power Purchasing Agreement. Minister Thoriq acknowledged the project's pioneering scale, which involves laying submarine electrical cables—a first for the Maldives. He expressed confidence in the two-year completion target, barring unforeseen technical challenges. Concurrently, the government is expanding solar infrastructure on other islands to overcome land constraints and meet a national target of generating 33 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2028.