Environment Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela has announced plans to develop a cooling system at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) that will make use of seawater to reduce reliance on fossil fuels at the site, according to local media.
“We can try to create energy with seawater and use it to cool places. We are looking to cool the entire airport using water taken from around 1,000 metres below the surface of the sea in the near future,” she was quoted as saying by local newspaper Haveeru during a ceremony held yesterday (July 23).
Speaking at the event, Dr Shakeela reportedly highlighted the importance of enhancing the use of renewable energy in the Maldives, while also identifying a lack of “positive response” from state institutions in curbing use of fossil fuels or adopting alternative technologies like solar and wind energy.
The announcement was made after participants in attendance at the Maldives International Renewable Energy Investors Conference last month claimed political instability was presently a major concern hampering foreign investment in the sector.
The two day event, which concluded on June 17, aimed to facilitate long-term partnerships between international investors, project developers, energy companies and utilities groups in order to enable successful renewable energy projects throughout the Maldives.
