Highway chosen as solar site in Yameen's govt, ministry says
The ministry's statement comes in response to Muizzu's announcement that he intends to relocate the solar panels to designated islands.
The Ministry of Environment has said that the decision to install solar panels on the Male-Hulhumale highway was made during the previous administration when President-elect Dr Mohamed Muizzu was a member of the cabinet.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry pointed out that the decision was reached in 2017, during Muizzu's tenure as a minister in the government of former President Abdulla Yameen.
Describing the solar energy system on the highway as one of the most significant private investments in renewable energy in the Maldives, the ministry said that it was the first project carried out under the Carbon Neutral Investment Plan initiated in 2010.
"Removing the solar panels now will undermine investor confidence in the Maldives and create challenges in securing future investments," the statement warned.
The ministry's statement comes in response to Muizzu's announcement that he intends to relocate the solar panels to designated islands. His decision is based on public complaints about the obstruction of the sea view from the highway.
The ministry highlighted that the former government had developed the project plan, crafted the concept design, initiated discussions with stakeholders, and obtained the necessary approvals between 2017 and 2018.
"In line with the principle that it is essential for a nation's progress for an incoming government to continue the national development projects of the outgoing government, this government has proceeded with this project as per the blueprint established during President Yameen's administration," the statement read.
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
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