Summary

This report will provide information about the upgrade of Laamu Gan powerhouse and the change to a central power grid with one powerhouse from 3 powerhouses running to power the whole island. The old powerhouses which were out of date and broken down, upgraded to a modern, more efficiently performing solution.

Old Situation of Laamu Gan

Prior to the implementation of one central powerhouse, the island consisted of 3 powerhouses which provide electricity to different parts of the island.

The 3 powerhouses which were providing electricity to the island were out of date and old and at the brink of breaking down. These powerhouses were also located within the island close to the living populace. This created many issues for the islanders living close to the powerhouses. The powerhouses created noise which were disturbing the people and children causing many issues to the quality of life. Kids which study were facing problems due to the noise affecting their education. With the powerhouse being old, it is not as reliable as it once was and constant maintenance was needed. This created issues with efficiency and quality of electricity providing declined and it was harder to maneuver to solve problems between each powerhouse. The old network created a power inefficiency of 16.3% when providing power and if the network was not upgraded this inefficiency would increase up to 20% in the next 5 years.

The powerhouses which were in service, being located close to the living population, spread toxic gases which can cause respiratory issues for people that have prolonged exposure to them.

With the old age of the powerhouse, they were not able to provide enough power to cater to the islands power consumption needs and could not meet the demand as more energy was consumed by people in the island.

Establishing the Central Powerhouse

On December 3rd, the Central powerhouse for Laamu Gan was established and a ceremony was held. The Powerhouse is the biggest powerhouse in Maldives able to cater to the entire region from one central location. This was a day the people of Laamu looked forward to as they dreamed of a day where they would get proper consistent quality electrical service.

With the central powerhouse, a lot of the issues faced by people of the island were resolved and services improved. The Powerhouse is now located away from the general living populace so that its noise would not disturb people. The gases which get emitted from the Powerhouse are filtered through and less harmful when released into the atmosphere. In 2019 there was 16.3% inefficiency rate using low voltage network cables. With the new Powerhouse, a medium voltage cable network was established reducing the loss to 5%. This drastically improves upon the old Network and saves more energy in the process making it more efficient. It is reported that in the first year alone, 200,000 kWh of energy will be saved along with MVR 3.2 Million in damages which would incur if the network was not upgraded to the current specifications.

Efficiency and sustainability is an important philosophy that we try to carry throughout all processes of Fenaka. Reducing the carbon footprint and ensuring sustainability is something that everyone should strive for in their day to day lives. The new central powerhouse, limits carbon footprint and ensures a more sustainable efficient method of production with less diesel input and more power output. Implementation of the powerhouse also solves voltage drop issues, provides enough power for all household electrical use and reduces outages and ensures longevity of electrical products used by everyone in the community.

The new network ensures consistent electricity coverage, with higher peak loads and more electricity output than before. If by chance there is an outage from the central powerhouse, the old powerhouses will start within a matter of seconds as backup generators to ensure people get consist electricity even in the case of an outage from the main plant which ensures important places such as hospitals etc will be able to provide their services to the people of L.Gan.

The improvement of the Electricity quality is a big dream of the people of Laamu Gan and the establishment of the Powerhouse ensures the quality of service for years to come. Being one of the most essential services in a community and in a fast technologically progressing world, the importance of electricity is emphasized even more. Whether it is in your home, a shop or guesthouse, electricity plays an essential role to develop a community and for its people to thrive.