Addu power outage over damaged cables, mayor says
Nizar explained that the damage to the cable occurred while roads were being constructed in the connected islands.
Addu Mayor Ali Nizar confirmed on Wednesday that the recent power outages affecting the connected islands of Addu are due to damage to a high-voltage cable supplying electricity to the region.
The outages, which have been ongoing for the past few days, are not the first time the islands have faced electricity disruptions, but this time the issue is linked to the road construction works currently underway in Addu.
During a video interview, Nizar explained that the damage to the cable occurred while roads were being constructed in the connected islands. This has impacted the supply of electricity to Gan, one of the islands in the Addu atoll.
“The damage caused during the construction work has not been repaired. Every time the power is supplied to Gan, the power station fails, which is why we have had to cut off electricity in Addu,” he said.
Despite no formal statement from Fenaka Corporation, the state-owned utility company responsible for electricity distribution in Addu, reports suggest the power outages stem from this cable damage. Fenaka’s engineers are working around the clock to fix the issue and restore regular power supply to the affected islands.
Meanwhile, Fenaka Managing Director Muaaz Mohamed Rasheed addressed the electricity situation in Addu in a press conference earlier, promising that the problem will be permanently resolved after the completion of a major electricity network upgrade.
The project, currently underway and managed by a Chinese company, is expected to take up to two years to complete.
China’s Dongfang Electric International Corporation was awarded the contract in April to upgrade Addu’s electricity network.
As part of the $59 million project, a new 32 MW power plant will be installed in Hithadhoo, which will increase the city’s power generation capacity. The project also includes upgrading the electricity distribution system, ensuring that the network can support Addu’s energy needs for the next 20 years.
Fenaka has a 12-year payment term for this investment.
