Maldives awards contract to Malaysian company for ice plants on 11 islands

The government has awarded a contract to Malaysian company Altus Oil and Gas to establish ice production and storage facilities on 11 islands across the Maldives, aimed at improving access to ice for fishermen.

The agreement was signed on Monday at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources.

State Minister for Fisheries Mohamed Muththalib signed the agreement on behalf of the ministry, while Altus directors Vijay K Pillai and Mohamed Thaufeeq bin Usman signed on behalf of the company.

Under the project, ice plants will be established on the following islands:

According to the Fisheries Ministry, each island will receive an ice plant with a production capacity of 30 tonnes, along with an ice storage facility capable of holding 50 tonnes.

The project will therefore provide a combined ice production capacity of 330 tonnes and storage capacity of 550 tonnes across the 11 islands.

The contractor has been given six months to complete the project.

However, the ministry has not disclosed the value of the contract.

Altus Oil and Gas is a Malaysian company providing services in the oil and gas, supply chain, marine and logistics sectors.

The project is intended to expand the availability of ice in fishing communities, where access to ice is necessary for preserving catches and maintaining fish quality before sale or processing.