Solar panels on highway blown into sea during installation
The environment ministry said the affected panels were not attached to the structure.
By
Mariyam Umna Ismail
Several solar panels being installed on the structures built on both sides of the Male-Hulhumale highway were blown away into the sea with the wind on Tuesday.
Four panels were blown away into the sea while being installed on the beachside structures.
The public has expressed concern about the incident. Male mayor Dr Mohammed Muizzu also tweeted that if the contractor does not pay attention to it, a very dangerous accident could happen.
In a statement, the environment ministry said the affected panels were not attached to the structure. So far, no structural damage or design problems have been identified, it added.
According to the ministry:
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No one was injured in the incident and the panels have now been removed from the sea
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No incidents or hazards have been reported so far; there have been no incidents or hazards on the highway
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An internal investigation will be conducted into the contractor's performance
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Further work will be carried out after ensuring that all necessary safety measures have been taken
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Installed panels will be checked to ensure that there are no issues
The ministry said it will increase supervision and frequent inspections.
As part of the World Bank-funded Accelerating Sustainable Private Investment in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) project, Thailand's Encis Co Ltd was awarded the contract to set up a solar power generation system on the greater Male area link road in November 2020.
Project Summary:
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Power generation is expected to start by next month
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The system is designed to be capable of capturing wind speeds of up to 115 km per hour
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5 MW solar power to be generated per day
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7.3 million power units to be generated annually
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The rate at which generated solar power is sold to STELCO is 10.09 cents per unit (MVR 1.681)
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Encis Co will maintain the system for 15 years, after which STELCO will take over the system
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MVR 15-20 million can be saved annually from fuel expenditure
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This will be the largest solar panel installation in the country so far
