The solar panels installed under the "Accelerating Sustainable Private Investment in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE)" project on the Male'-Hulhumale' highway generate 4.8 megawatts of electricity each day, the Environment Ministry has said.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim said the solar panels installed on the highway have been connected to the grid of State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) to generate electricity.
“If it is a sunny day, we are generating between 4.5 megawatts and 4.8 megawatts of electricity,” he said.
The system is currently in use, but since the government wants the solar panels to be removed from the highway and relocated elsewhere, Thoriq said discussions are underway with the World Bank, which funded the project, and Thailand’s Ensys, which carried out the project.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu pledged to relocate the solar panels. The Environment Ministry estimates it will cost MVR 170 million.
The total cost of the ASPIRE project was USD 11 million or MVR 169 million. Electricity generated by the project is sold to STELCO at a rate of USD 0.10 per unit, which is MVR 1.68 per unit.
