Maldives floats tender for 40MWh BESS, EMS across 18 islands

The Republic of Maldives has recently invited bids for the supply and installation of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and energy management systems (EMS) for deployment in 18 islands across the country. 

As part of the Accelerating Sustainable System Development Using Renewable Energy (ASSURE) Project with a grant of US$41.5 million, supported by financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the latest tender targets about 40MWh of BESS capacity, according to Jaimes Kolantharaj, senior energy specialist at the ADB, as reported by Energy Storage News. 

Given its dependence on the imported diesel for its energy needs, Maldives is trying to leverage its natural advantages of abundant renewable energy sources like sun, wind and ocean to enable energy transition for about a decade now since 2014. 

Two programs are worth mentioning in this regard. First is the Preparing Outer Islands for Sustainable Energy Development (POISED), also supported by ADB, sought to deploy solar-based battery hybrid systems in outer islands of the country.

Next one is the World Bank supported Accelerating Sustainable Private Investments in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) that targets private sector investments in solar energy projects in the greater Male region. 

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It is reported that Maldives sought 40MW/40MWh of BESS back in 2021, only to be reopened last year with revised conditions. The latest tender is likely to be a reiterated call for the same capacity. 

According to the latest notification, the government calls for Open Competitive Bidding (OCB) in accordance with ADB's 'Single Stage: Two-Envelope' bidding procedure, and is open to all bidders from eligible countries as described in the bidding document. 

Interested players are asked to register with the Ministry of Finance, from 20th August to 08th October 2023, while a pre-bid meeting is scheduled on 4th September 2023.