Maldives launches tender seeking 40MWh BESS and EMS across 18 islands

August 23, 2023
LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email
The Maldives is home to more than half a million people, who live across its hundreds of islands, most of them relying on expensive and polluting imported diesel for their electricity. Image: wikimedia user Nevit Dilman.

The Republic of Maldives has launched a tender process, seeking to procure battery energy storage systems (BESS) in an energy transition project supported by Asian Development Bank (ADB) funding.

Supported by the ADB through the Accelerating Sustainable System Development Using Renewable Energy (ASSURE) Project with a grant of US$41.5 million for the project, the tender aims to provide BESS and energy management systems (EMS) across 18 islands in the Maldives and seeks to add around 40MWh of capacity, according to Jaimes Kolantharaj, senior energy specialist at the ADB, on a social media post.

The country continues to seek renewable capacity in order to reduce its reliance on diesel, and launched two programmes in 2014 working towards increasing its renewable capacity across its more than 1,000 islands. The first one was Preparing Outer Islands for Sustainable Energy Development (POISED) – supported by the ADB – to introduce solar photovoltaic battery-based hybrid systems in outer islands. The second, Accelerating Sustainable Private Investments in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) which is supported by the World Bank, aims to mobilise private sector investments in solar photovoltaic in the greater Male region.

Following the work done with the ASPIRE programme, the country launched several tenders, financed by the World Bank similar to this latest one. In 2021 the country sought 40MW/40MWh of BESS across several regions, which appears to have been dropped, but was then reopened again last year, still seeking 40MWh of BESS.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Contracts will cover design, supply and installation of BESS and EMS.

In order to be eligible to participate in the current tender, bidders require the following qualifications:

  • Minimum average annual turnover of US$47.25 million calculated as total certified payments received for contracts in progress or completed, within the last three years.
  • Participation as a contractor, joint venture partner, or subcontractor, in at least two contracts that have been satisfactorily and substantially completed within the last five years and that are similar to the proposed contract, where the value of the bidder’s participation under each contract exceeds US$25.2 million.

Deadline for applications to submit a bid has been set for 10 October 2023, however interested bidders will be required to register first with the South Asian island nation’s Ministry of Finance between 20 August and 08 October 2023 with a payment of US$100 and then fill the bidding document.

Bidders awarded will be required to complete the project in 360 days.

For more information regarding the bidding process as well as the documentation to submit a bid is available on the Ministry of Finance’s website here.

24 February 2026
InterContinental London - The O2, London, UK
This isn’t just another summit – it’s our biggest and most exhilarating Summit yet! Picture this: immersive workshop spaces where ideas come to life, dedicated industry working groups igniting innovation, live podcasts sparking lively discussions, hard-hitting keynotes that will leave you inspired, and an abundance of networking opportunities that will take your connections to new heights!
9 June 2026
Stuttgart, Germany
Held alongside The Battery Show Europe, Energy Storage Summit provides a focused platform to understand the policies, revenue models and deployment conditions shaping Germany’s utility-scale storage boom. With contributions from TSOs, banks, developers and optimisers, the Summit explores regulation, merchant strategies, financing, grid tariffs and project delivery in a market forecast to integrate 24GW of storage by 2037.

Read Next

December 16, 2025
In this edition of the Energy-Storage.news US news roundup, EticaAG partners with Shell on battery immersion tech, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory begins utility-scale battery testing, and ON.Energy announces a transformer supply agreement.
December 16, 2025
 Utility Georgia Power has reached an agreement with the Public Interest Advocacy (PIA) staff of the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), that, if approved, will help lower energy costs and meet electricity demand in the state.
Premium
December 16, 2025
Calibrant’s BESS for a new data centre in Oregon, US, was hailed as the first of its kind, but what are the details beyond the headline? We caught up with Calibrant’s CCO to discuss the practical, commercial and technical specifics of the project.
December 15, 2025
A new battery energy storage system (BESS) cybersecurity whitepaper from consultancy firm The Brattle Group and cybersecurity solutions provider Dragos claims that a single 100MW/400MWh BESS outage could result in US$1.2 million in monthly losses.
December 10, 2025
NHOA Energy has secured contracts from Engie for an 80MW/320MWh BESS at Engie’s Drogenbos power station, near Brussels, Belgium.