Gone with the wind? An ambitious wind energy project to power the Greater Malé region that never materialised

Abstract

Maldives announced one of the most ambitious renewable energy projects so far, in 2009, with a plan to invest in a 200-million-dollar wind farm in Gaafaru lagoon (Burulu Falhu), north Malé Atoll, to be managed and operated by a US-based firm, Falcon Energy and its consortium partners. The project was designed to provide a 75-megawatts of wind-generated energy to the Greater Malé region and resorts in the area. The announcement of the project culminated in a lot of public hype and hope for reducing the country’s dependence on fossil fuel for energy generation and as a major step towards achieving a carbon-neutral economy. The technical feasibility, environmental impact assessments, and required funding possibilities were all pointing towards the project’s practicality. However, after the initial excitement of the project launching has subsided, the project slowly moved to doldrums and never saw the light of the day. At a later stage, there were rumours of project cost-estimation requiring a higher initial investment as planned, and news of a Chinese firm taking over the project from Falcon energy. Why did the project never materialise? What were the reasons behind the lack of enthusiasm to pursue this project and overcome the challenges? This case study provides a contextual background to the project, its potential environmental and economic benefits and the possible factors that contributed towards its failure to launch.