Preparing Outer Island Sustainable Electricity Development Project (POISED)

The ‘Preparing Outer Island Sustainable Electricity Development Project’ (POISED) was designed to help the Maldives shift toward greater energy self-sufficiency and minimize emissions and exposure to global petroleum price volatility. It aims to facilitate the installation of solar-PV-battery diesel hybrid systems, meeting up to 30 percent of the daytime peak load demand in about 160 medium and small outer islands with approximately 21 MW in total solar power capacity and an annual electricity output of 27.6 GWh. This includes installing energy management and control systems, increasing energy storage capacity, and improving distribution networks in all project locations. POISED includes battery systems and storage to support the solar intermittency. POISED was declared effective in 2015, and is expected to be completed in December 2020. The solar-PV-battery diesel hybrid systems that POISED is promoting, are expected to displace a large portion of diesel used in generator sets. The project is expected to improve the quality of life of island communities with benefits, such as less noise and better air quality through the use of renewable energy and more efficient diesel generator systems, employment opportunities during project construction, microenterprise development opportunities through productive energy use, and the eventual reduction of electricity rates as a result of diesel savings. There are two main power utilities in Maldives FENAKA and STELCO, responsible for electricity generation and distribution. FENAKA operates in 150 islands and serves about 40 percent of the population. Most POISED components are under implementation in outer islands serviced by FENAKA. POISED is also geared to improve the financial management, asset mapping, Energy Resource Planning systems and financial sustainability of these two utility companies.