The solar panels installed on the Sinamalé Bridge highway, which connects Malé and Hulhumalé, will be removed and relocated to other islands in the Maldives, President-elect Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced. Speaking to residents of Hulhumalé on Saturday, Dr Muizzu said the poorly implemented installation of the solar panels had obscured the scenery from the bridge area.
“Renewable energy is important, but the implementation of the solar panel project has not been optimal,” Muizzu said, explaining his intention to relocate the panels to other islands.
“I think two islands can be converted entirely to renewable energy with those existing panels, so converting two together would be more efficient,” Muizzu said.
Meanwhile, an investigation is underway after a solar panel was ripped off due to strong winds.The project, a collaboration between the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology and the World Bank, is part of the Accelerating Sustainable Private Investment in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) initiative. The project is expected to generate 7.3 million units of electricity per year and save the state between MVR 15 to 20 million in fuel spending.
In addition, Muizzu reiterated his campaign pledge to transfer all municipal services in Hulhumalé to the Malé City Council within his first 100 days in office. Currently, all municipal services on Hulhumalé are under the purview of Urbanco, while in administrative terms, Hulhumalé falls within the Malé city limits, the president-elect said.
Muizzu also said that within the first two months of his administration, he would initiate the dredging and reclamation project at Fushidhihgaru lagoon.He reassured that the land and flats allocated by the current administration would not be confiscated and applications submitted for the second round would not be annulled.
The president-elect further announced that the development of Hulhumalé would unfold as better planned and become a more serene district, with additional parking structures within all phases of Hulhumalé.