Solar-Ice Power Plant in Dhiffushi, Maldives

Combating climate change with local renewable energy solutions is at the heart of our award-winning solar-ice power plant on Dhiffushi Island. We built and installed this 40 kW grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) system in a fishing community in the Maldives. The system supplies 25% of the electricity demand of Dhiffushi’s population under the best conditions, and accounts for approximately 5% of the island’s annual energy consumption.

A unique feature of this project is the installation of an ice-making machine coupled with the PV system. Traditionally, similar PV electrical systems use batteries to absorb and store the excess electricity. In this case, the ice-making machine stores excess solar energy by producing ice when solar energy supplied to the system is greater than the electricity demand. This innovative feature not only provides a solution to the need expressed by Dhiffushi’s residents, but also prevents the creation of unnecessary industrial waste by avoiding the use of conventional batteries. This ice machine uses seawater to produce around 1 tonne of flake ice per day, providing a simple yet sustainable way for local fishermen to preserve fish and save costs, as they no longer need to travel to other islands to purchase expensive ice. By using excess electricity in a productive matter, the project will stimulate Dhiffushi Island’s local economy.

The project won a 2017 Energy Globe Award and is helping the Maldives take immediate action toward building a more sustainable future and implementing its commitments to the Paris Agreement by reducing the island’s fossil fuel consumption and triggering a shift away from imported diesel.

The system was monitored for two years, supporting the State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) to ensure that the necessary skills and know-how were in place to guarantee the project’s long-term performance and sustainability. GSEP designed and implemented a full training program to develop local abilities and skills, increasing local confidence for carrying out other similar projects. A three-day workshop, in addition to on-the-job-training sessions, were completed to train 19 local engineers and operators in basic knowledge of PV components and systems, practical design of PV systems, grid connectivity, construction, operation and maintenance, and editing PV system texts for replicability.

The Dhiffushi Solar-Ice Project can also serve as a model for other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that want to move away from fossil fuels and jumpstart their national climate action plans. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) aims to increase solar energy development in the region through its Asia Solar Energy Initiative (ASEI), using the Dhiffushi Solar-Ice Project as a model. The project’s replicability stems from the design of the PV system itself. The system was designed to maximize stability with simple control logic, while incurring low costs in order to be easily replicated and deployed to other islands where potential PV output is higher than the load capacity of the local grid. This approach maximizes the percentage of PV energy used without the need to install any special countermeasures.

This bottom-up approach of promoting local renewable energy solutions not only supports the most vulnerable countries, it also builds a cleaner tomorrow for all.