The Need for an Energy
Grid in the Maldives
By:
Dr. Zaid Mohamed
&
Mohamed Latheef
Deputy Managing Director
State Electric Company Limited
Male’
Maldives
1
Maldives
Capital City
2
(inhabited island)
Greater Male’ Region)
Thilafushi
(Industrial)
Male’ (Capital City)
Hulhumale’
Villingili
(Developing City)
Male’ International Airport
Statistics
Total Population
298,968
Population in the Capital
102,377
Percentage In the Capital
34%
Number of Islands
1190
Inhabited Islands
185
Number of Atolls
26
Administrative Provinces
7
4
STELCO History
•
The State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) is an entirely State owned
organization responsible for the generation and distribution and sale of
electricity to consumers through out the North Central Province (NCP) of the
Republic of Maldives.
•
STELCO was formed back in 1949, as a government department - Electricity
Department. The service started with the use of a 14kW generator providing
electricity to only 50 consumers of Male’.
•
Over the 63 years of service, the institution was re-named from Electricity
Department to Maldives Electricity Board (MEB) and then on 19 June 1997 the
name was changed to State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) as a totally state
owned company by a Presidential Decree.
•
By end of 2008 STELCO expanded services from North to South of the country
totaling 28 islands catering 60% of the total population of Maldives.
5
STELCO Today
• In 2009 with the new government policies, 7 provinces
were formed with utility companies managing all utility
services in their own respective provinces. As a result, on
1st May 2009 STELCO handed over 22 island power houses
to these utility companies.
• STELCO now provide its services to 28 islands in NCP with
over 33000 consumers and total installed capacity of
78.38MW covering 37% of the population of Maldives.
• Diesel power plants are mainly used in STELCO
• 1 MW of Solar PV installed in Male’ and few other islands
under various projects.
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Male’
• Current peak demand in Male’ is 41MW
• Total Installed capacity is 61.42MW
7
Male' - Firm Capacity versus Peak Load [MW] - 2006 to 2015
65.00
Largest Gen-set Out
(8/9)
60.00
55.00
7.20
7.20
7.20
7.20
DG 8+9 / 16.0 MW
(MAN)
50.00
TMP 9-15 / 10.08 MW
(Cummins at Gaakoshi
PH)
45.00
40.00
[MW]
TMP 7-8 / 3.2 MW
(Cummins at Canteen
area)
35.00
TMP 1-6 / 5.4MW
(Cummins at Fenmeeru
Hingun)
30.00
25.00
DG 1 - 7 / 26.6 MW
(Wartsila)
20.00
Peak Load Actual
15.00
10.00
Linear Peak Load
5.00
0.00
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Year
2012
2013
2014
2015
8
Challenges in Expansion & the Need
for a Grid
• Male’ is congested
• Land Availability
• No available space in Male’.
• Exhaust Emission Limitations
• When the current power project is completed power plant emission will
reach to maximum acceptable limit
• Power System Protection
• Will reach maximum allowable production capacity based
on system Voltage (appx.55MW)
• Network Overloading
• Male’ 11kV distribution network requires upgrades and
expansion
 Power Generation outside capital island Male’??
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Potential Future Locations
• Hulhumale
• Land is available
• Future load center
• Minimal distance (economically more viable)
• Thilafushi
• Land is available
• Future load center (commercial activities)
• Long distance
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11
12
Island Electrification
•
•
•
•
•
•
Average size of each island is small
Population less than 1000 on average
Power demand is low
Cost of operation very high
Revenue is small
Operational loss
13
Regional Interconnection Grids
• Improves reliability and system efficiency
• Phase 1: Interconnect islands in the same reef
– More than 2 islands in the same reef
– These power systems can be interconnected
– Consider possibility of having larger power plants
• Phase 2: Interconnect islands across 2 or more
reefs within the atoll.
• Phase 3: Interconnect the grids across atolls.
14
15
Carbon Neutral Maldives
• Until 2012, all our energy production is from
diesel (MGO)
• GoM has announced to be carbon neutral by
2020
• GoM is committed to produce energy from
renewable sources
• Solar and wind seems the most favorable to
Maldives
16
Challenges for Renewable Investments
• Financial & economic barriers
– Initial investment large
– Difficulty in getting finance/loans due to high risk of projects
– Payback period long
• Availability of space for installations
– Male’
• Small or No roof tops
• Cannot get big space in one area
• Installations Outside Male’
– For islands
–
–
Space may be available in some islands but still limited in many islands
Nearby offshore options available
Expansion of RE investments at commercial scale
also requires an interconnected grid
17
18
19
20
21
RE Challenges …
• Limitations on the level of RE injection
– Small & Independent Grids
– Limitation on direct feed RE systems
– Requires larger grids
• Submarine cable
• Technical
– Uncertainty in technologies
– Limited Expertise
• Institutional & Regulatory
– Need a framework to encourage RE technologies
22
Challenges …
• Submarine cable very expensive
– Male’-Hulhumale’: Estimated US$26.4 million
– Male’-Villingilli: Estimated US$10.9 million
– Villingilli-Thilafushi: Estimated US$26 million
Source: “Maldives Submarine Cable Interconnection Pre-Feasibility Study” prepared for USAID/SARI-Energy, by SNC Lavalin and PA
Government Services, Inc. (April 2010).
23
National & Regional Grid
• Currently each island is an independent power
grid
– National grid will remove this disadvantage
• Financial & Technical difficulties due the unique
geographic nature of the Maldives
• Maldives can take benefit of the energy grid
–
–
–
–
Eliminates the constraints on power expansions
Help to reduce the price of electricity
Increase stability & efficiency
Land issue will also be solved
24
Interconnection between neighboring countries to
Maldives
564 km
728 km
564 km
185 Inhabited islands scattered
over a 865 km from North to South
865 km
728 km
Summary
• For Male’, demand continues to grow at a very
fast rate
• Having challenges in power expansion
• Further challenges in RE investments
• Power expansion limited by the need for a Grid
• Constraints on Grid interconnections due to
financial and economic issues
• A regional grid will give a lot of advantage for the
case of Maldives
28
Thank You
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