The waste-to-energy plant in Addu City is expected to become operational in 2028, the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy has said.

The Government is implementing several regional projects to provide long-term solutions to waste management challenges across the Maldives. Speaking to State media, Deputy Minister Ahmed Nizam said the plant's main construction works have been completed. The facility has the capacity to process 50 tonnes of waste per day and generate 1.5 megawatts of electricity.

Nizam said a waste-to-energy plant alone is not sufficient to operate a fully functional regional waste management centre. Additional components required to complete the facility are currently being developed with support from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

He said, based on the current progress, the regional waste management centre is expected to become operational in 2028.

"The waste management plant has already been built, but it cannot yet be operated. Additional components, including the landfill and sorting facility, are being developed under the current project. Once these are completed, the facility will operate as a complete system," Nizam said.

The Maldives Green Fund financed the construction of the waste-to-energy plant in Addu at USD 16 million, with the project completed in 2023.

The Ministry said plans are in place to operate the facility under a public-private partnership. However, the legal and regulatory processes required before handing over the project are still ongoing, and a date for the plant to begin operations has not yet been determined.