The Government of the Republic of Maldives has invited investors and developers to install a 5 MW grid-tied solar photovoltaic system in the Greater Malé Region. The scope of work for this project includes the designing, building, financing, owning, operating, and transferring of the solar project.

Bidding for this tender will be conducted through International Competitive Bidding (ICB) procedures consistent with World Bank’s Guidelines called Procurement under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants by World Bank Borrowers dated January 2011, revised July 2014. It is open to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the guidelines.

The last date to apply for the tender is March 18, 2019.

The project will be implemented under the Accelerating Sustainable Private Investment in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) program along with the support of the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP). The ASPIRE program aims to scale up to over 20 MW of solar PV through private investment in the Maldives.

Maldives is one of the countries participating in SREP program, a funding window of the Climate Investment Funds. The main objective of Maldives SREP is to transform the electricity sector through the deployment of renewable energy on a large scale in line with the sustainable development priorities of the country. Maldives SREP Investment Plan (2013-17) was adopted by the Government of Maldives in October 2012, as a plan to meet the policy priorities.

The inhabited islands of the Maldives have a total installed capacity of 240 MW from diesel generators to cater to the electricity demand. Total power generation from renewable energy in the Maldives is around 11 MW.

In December 2018, India announced the provision of financial assistance up to $ 1.4 billion in the form of budgetary support, currency swap and concessional lines of credit to fulfill the socio-economic development programs in the Maldives. India and Maldives are also expected to cooperate closely for the growth of the renewable energy sector in the country.

Image credit: Renewable Energy Maldives

Shaurya is a staff reporter at MercomIndia.com with experience working in the Indian solar energy industry for the past four years in various roles. Prior to joining Mercom, Shaurya worked with a renewable energy developer and a consulting company. Shaurya holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.