Saturday, 26 July, 2025
The Maldives, a tropical archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, consists of approximately 1,192 coral islands. As of 2022, the nation had a total population of 515,132[1]. In 2023, the country’s nominal GDP was valued at USD6.19 billion, with tourism contributing approximately 25 per cent, followed by construction sector and fisheries, accounting for 7 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively [[2]],[[3]].
The Maldives lacks domestic fossil fuel reserves, making it heavily reliant on imported petroleum products. In 2023, these imports accounted for 21 per cent of the country’s total imports, representing nearly 11 per cent of its GDP[4]. Diesel dominates the energy mix, accounting for 82 per cent of total primary energy demand, powering electricity generation, industrial operations, and maritime transport[5].
Electricity generation is almost entirely dependent on diesel-based systems, with 100 per cent of the national electricity supply currently derived from diesel, leading to high generation costs and substantial greenhouse gas emissions[6]. This dependence, coupled with exposure to global oil price volatility, has driven the country’s push towards renewable energy (RE). The Maldives possesses substantial potential in solar, wind, and ocean energy, with solar PV and battery energy storage systems prioritised to reduce both costs and emissions.
Under its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the Maldives has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 per cent and achieve net-zero emissions by 2030[7]. The government has also set a target to achieve 33 per cent of electricity generation capacity from renewable sources by 2028, supported by enabling policies such as net metering, feed-in tariffs, and import duty exemptions for renewable technologies[8]. However, the transition is challenged by limited land availability, technical capacity gaps, and financing constraints.
As of 2023, the Maldives has no recorded demand for hydrogen, as supported by the World Bank’s WITS trade database, which shows no hydrogen imports or exports [1] . The country also has no proven fossil fuel reserves, making it heavily reliant on imported petroleum products, mainly diesel. However, the Maldives is actively exploring green hydrogen as a future energy solution, as outlined in its national energy roadmap. With potential RE resources, such as wind, solar and ocean (tidal and wave) energy, the country holds significant capacity to produce green hydrogen fuel through electrolysis powered by renewable energy.
The Maldives is well-positioned to support green hydrogen development through its RE infrastructure, which includes 68.5 MW of installed solar PV capacity, currently contributing around 6 per cent of national electricity generation [2] . The government aims to increase this share to 33 per cent by 2028, creating a foundation for powering electrolysis-based hydrogen production. Moreover, the Maldives has an extensive desalination network, already in use for providing potable water across its dispersed islands [3] . This infrastructure could be leveraged to supply the freshwater required for green hydrogen production, offering a practical advantage in scaling up hydrogen initiatives. While land scarcity poses a challenge for large-scale solar deployment, the Maldives’ geography offers innovative alternatives. Floating solar installations on lagoons and offshore wind energy development present viable pathways to expand renewable capacity without competing for limited land resources.
The Maldives has not yet published any dedicated roadmap for green hydrogen, however, the country’s Energy Roadmap published in 2024, incorporate interventions to explore the potential of green hydrogen [1] . Another collaborative initiative led by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) is currently underway to assess the feasibility of green hydrogen in the country. This study aims to identify appropriate technologies for hydrogen production and transport, and to develop a National Hydrogen Roadmap [2] . The forthcoming roadmap is expected to outline strategic pathways for integrating green hydrogen into the national energy mix, with a focus on production, storage, and enabling policy frameworks.
At present, the Maldives has not enacted any specific regulations pertaining to hydrogen. Nevertheless, hydrogen features prominently in the nation's Energy Roadmap 2024-2033, where it is identified as a promising area for future exploration [1] .
Electricity demand in Maldives is rising steadily at approximately 5 per cent per annum with a projection of 2,400 GWh by 2028. At present, the country has installed 68.5 MW of solar PV capacity, and 90 MW is under pipeline, bringing the total to an estimated 160 MW by 2028. However, in order to achieve the government’s target of sourcing 33 per cent of electricity from renewables, an additional 330 MW equivalent to 800 GWh electricity, needs to be generated from renewable energy [1] .The Maldives is endowed with diverse RE resources, among which solar energy holds promising potential, with an average solar irradiation of 1,200 kWh/m² annually, making it well-suited for widespread deployment [2] . The national installed electricity capacity stands at 600 MW as of 2024, of which solar PV contributes 68.5 MW, accounting for approximately 6 per cent of total electricity generation [3] .
Electricity generation in the Maldives is predominantly decentralised. In the Greater Male region, the installed capacity comprises of 140 MW from diesel sources and 10 MW from solar photovoltaic systems. Across the remaining inhabited islands, the total installed capacity stands at 208 MW, of which 27 MW is derived from solar PV. The resort islands contribute 242 MW, primarily from diesel, supplemented by 31 MW of solar PV. The government is also exploring floating solar projects with storage, aiming to install up to 185 MW by 2028 [4] .
While land availability poses a constraint for large-scale solar deployment, the Maldives is exploring floating solar systems along with wind and ocean energy as viable alternatives. Wind resources are unevenly distributed, with the northern atolls exhibiting stronger potential. Ocean energy derived from tidal and wave, is considered one of the most promising long-term alternatives. Preliminary assessments suggest a tidal and in-stream energy potential ranging from 28-106 MW in particular channels, where current speeds reach 1.5 to 2.6 m/s [5] .
Currently, the Maldives have no component manufacturing facilities for the green hydrogen value chain. Although, the government is actively promoting renewable energy projects, but most of the projects are focused on deployment and not manufacturing. The government is yet to announce a specific industrial policy which may promote investments from manufacturing industries including green hydrogen and RE components. However, due to the country's limited land area, industrial base, and logistical constraints, it is more likely to import solar and RE components rather than manufacture them locally.
While the country has made significant strides in deploying solar and battery-based renewable energy systems, green hydrogen remains absent from its current energy portfolio. As of 2024, there are no projects on green hydrogen, installed or under construction in Maldives. However, a feasibility study funded by the CTCN is underway to assess potential applications in transport, desalination, and energy generation. No dedicated funding allocations have been made public for hydrogen deployment yet [1] . However, the Maldives is actively investing in renewable energy infrastructure, particularly solar energy.