The island nation of Maldives is to assess community insights and feedback for 20 MW solar power capacity, to be established under Asian Development Bank (ADB) supported outer islands solar public private partnership (PPP) project, for which it has announced market sounding process.
Maldives' Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology (MOE) is holding the market sounding sessions online on October 18, 2022 and October 20, 2022. It will be open to all interested local and international companies, as well as lenders.
Basis the feedback and insights received from the participants, the ministry will design the final tender and launch a request for proposal (RFP) round in the coming weeks.
"Participation in this market sounding process will give rise to no advantages or disadvantages to respondents in any future procurement process," states the MOE.
The ministry plans to have this 20 MW capacity developed in a mix of land, rooftop and nearshore floating solar installations in 20 outer islands of the country. Selected winner will be expected to design, build, finance, own, operate and maintain the projects. Selection criteria will be based on the lowest tariff offered by the selected company, while meeting minimum criteria for technical solution, financial resources and experience of developing similar projects.
Power generated will be supplied to state owned utility Fenaka under a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
Meeting details and joining link are available on the ministry's website.
The ADB is providing its transaction advisory services to Maldives for this project with an aim to enable the country bring down its diesel import bill and overall energy tariff (see Maldives To Tender 20 To 30 MW Solar).
According to the bank, the country made up of 1,192 small islands in the Central Indian Ocean achieved universal access to electricity in 2008 with the help of imported diesel which is of course an expensive way to generate pollution and electricity. The bank is supporting the country to expand renewable energy through the Preparing Outer Islands for Sustainable Energy Development (POISED) project.
At the end of 2021, Maldives had a total installed renewable energy capacity of 32 MW with almost 31 MW coming from solar PV, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Maldives is also taking help from the World Bank under whose Accelerating Renewable Energy Integration & Sustainable Energy (ARISE) project it launched a tender for up to 14 MW grid tied solar PV capacity to be set up on 14 islands (see Maldives Launches Tender For 14 MW Solar PV Capacity).
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