Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim has revealed that the waste-to-energy system in Thilafushi will be operational next year.

Last Thursday, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu visited Thilafushi to inspect the progress of the Greater Malé Environmental Improvement and Waste Management Project.

Regarding the progress of the project, Minister Thoriq said that the 10 megawatts of energy produced under the project will be used in the Greater Malé Region. He also said that a new system for collecting and processing waste will be established within the next three years.

Minister Thoriq said that the second phase of the project includes introducing waste-to-energy technology and finding a solution to the 774 tons of waste generated daily in the area. He said that the waste-to-energy system will be operational by the end of next year, and that the system will burn 500 tons of waste per day, generating 13 megawatts of energy from the incinerated waste.

Highlighting that 76 bales of waste are currently produced daily, Minister Thoriq said that to make full use of the space, 991 waste bales have been relocated to another area. He also said that the time taken for vessels to unload and return from the area where resort waste is collected has been reduced from one day to one hour, and the clearance time for the landing craft offloading area has been reduced from three days to five hours.

Minister Thoriq said that the facility's security has been strengthened with advanced surveillance systems. He also said that 6,500 tons of waste have been reused as landfill cover to clear the paths to the waste-to-energy plant, and a new 5,000 square meter waste cell has also been developed to manage waste for the next two years.

In addition to this, Minister Thoriq said that waste management services will be launched in all islands of the Maldives by the end of 2025, which is an important step towards protecting the environment and sustainable development in the Maldives.

Minister Thoriq said that the project will bring significant progress to the waste management sector in the Maldives and reduce the negative impact on the environment. He also said that the energy produced from waste will help meet the electricity needs of GMR.

The aim of the project, which is being carried out in two phases, is to establish a sustainable waste management system in the Maldives. The first phase of the project, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), and the Maldivian government, aims to modernize waste collection, transportation, and disposal in the capital region, as well as other islands.

This includes making positive changes to the Thilafushi Waste Reception Facility, building new waste transfer stations, developing a demolition waste processing plant, and a special plant for disposing of old vessels as waste. Work is also underway to develop a new vessel for transporting waste from one island to another.

The second phase of the project includes introducing Waste-to-Energy (WTE) technology and finding a solution to the 774 tons of waste generated daily in the area. The project aims to increase public awareness about sustainable waste management, improve treatment, recycling, and disposal infrastructure, and reduce pollution from the old dumpsite in Thilafushi.