Director General of the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy Ahmed Ali has stated that around 8,000 barrels of diesel are burned every day to generate electricity across inhabited islands in the Maldives.

Speaking at a press conference held at the President’s Office, The Director General said the country consumes approximately 2.9 million barrels of diesel annually for electricity generation. He noted that the Maldives remains heavily dependent on imported fuel to meet its energy needs.

He stated that  the cost of importing diesel has risen significantly amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. While fuel imports previously cost around USD 50 million per month, he said expenditure on oil imports had reached USD 116 million by the end of March this year, with further increases expected if global instability continues.

He further stressed the importance of reducing dependence on imported diesel and accelerating the transition towards renewable energy sources available in the Maldives. He also outlined the country’s current electricity generation capacity, stating that inhabited islands, resorts and industrial islands together have the capacity to generate around 640 megawatts of electricity.

Reducing reliance on diesel and expanding renewable energy generation remains one of the key targets of the current Administration. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has previously announced plans to generate 33 per cent of the Maldives’ electricity from renewable energy by 2028.

Renewable energy production in the Maldives stood at 55 megawatts when the current Administration assumed office, before increasing to 155 megawatts by 2025. Authorities state that ongoing renewable energy projects in Malé and the atolls are expected to further increase clean energy production nationwide.