Maldives tenders 21 MW of PV

The Ministry of Finance of the Maldives has issued a tender for the deployment of a 21 MW grid-tied solar project, to be built across several locations.

Interested developers will have time until May 14 to submit their offers. The pre-qualification process ended on March 12.

The projects, which will be part of the tiny nation’s Accelerating Renewable Energy Integration and Sustainable Energy (ARISE) program, will consist of an 11 MW floating PV array in Addu and 10 MW of ground-mounted PV capacity that will be built in portions across Addu, Fuvahmulah, Kulhudhuffushi, Thinadhoo, Eydhafushi, and Hinnavaru.

Selected bidders will be awarded power purchase agreements ranging from 15 to 20 years. Upon completion, the solar projects will together be the country’s largest new capacity additions yet.

In  February 2019, the government had tender a 5 MW grid-tied solar facility near the capital of Malé.

Despite these and other plans to develop renewables throughout the islands of the Maldives, the country still depends heavily on diesel fuel, and is plagued by intermittent energy supplies and high costs. It is also particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as rising sea levels continue to swallow up its coastline.