State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) has announced plans to temporarily shut down the 50-megawatt power plant in Hulhumalé early Saturday morning to carry out a major power system upgrade.
According to the company, the shutdown is part of efforts to further strengthen electricity services across the Greater Malé Region and improve the network’s long-term reliability and capacity.
The upgrade work is scheduled to take place between 3:00 AM and 8:00 AM on Saturday.
Speaking to local media regarding the project, STELCO Managing Director Dr. Ali Azwar said the enhancement will allow additional generation capacity to be integrated into the grid while modernizing system operations.
He explained that the early morning hours were specifically selected because electricity demand in the Malé area is expected to remain relatively low during the Eid holiday period.
Dr. Azwar also noted that engineers and technical experts from Wärtsilä will participate remotely in the operation.
“This 50-megawatt power plant holds significant capacity for the Greater Malé area. Since this operation requires a complete power load shutdown, the date and timing were carefully planned in advance,” he said.
Meanwhile, STELCO General Manager Ibrahim Nashid assured the public that electricity supply to Malé and Hulhumalé is expected to continue during the maintenance period through the use of high-speed generator engines operating in Hulhumalé.
According to Nashid, electricity demand across the Greater Malé area during the scheduled hours is expected to remain around 75 megawatts, while STELCO will maintain approximately 90 megawatts of available generation capacity even while the main plant remains offline.
He stated that if the operation proceeds according to plan, no power interruptions are anticipated.
However, Nashid cautioned that because the work involves major power system operations, temporary outages could still occur if unexpected issues arise with other active generator systems during the process.
“To be clear, we are not saying electricity will be cut off from 3:00 AM to 8:00 AM. Our teams will be actively working throughout those hours, and only if another operational issue arises may we need to manage demand through temporary interruptions,” he clarified.
STELCO stated that the project forms part of its ongoing efforts to modernize electricity infrastructure and ensure uninterrupted power services for residents of the Malé region.
The company also apologized in advance for any inconvenience the public may experience while the upgrade works are underway.
