Power goes out in parts of Hulhumale’ Phase I

The power went out on Wednesday morning from parts of Hulhumale’ Phase I, home to thousands of residents.

State Electric Company (STELCO) confirmed the outage at around 09:30 am.

According to a brief statement it shared via its official X account, the outage resulted from “a technical issue.”

STELCO said the power outage was affecting “some parts of Hulhumale’ Phase I” but didn’t specify where.

“We are working on identifying and resolving the issue,” reads the statement.

ދިމާވި ޓެކްނިކަލް މައްސަލައަކާއި ގުޅިގެން ހުޅުމާލޭގެ ފުރަތަމަ ފިޔަވަހީގެ ބައެއް ސަރަހައްދުތަކުން ވަނީ ކަރަންޓުގެ ހިދުމަތް މެދުކެނޑިފައި. މައްސަލަ ދެނަގަނެ ހައްލު ކުރުމަށް ދަނީ މަސައްކަތް ކުރެވެމުން. ދިމާވާނެ ދަތިތަކަށް މަޢާފަށް އެދެން.

— STELCO (@STELCOMALDIVES) December 24, 2025

A similar outage in Hulhumale’ Phase I on November 26 ended in tragedy when a longtime employee at STELCO sustained severe burn injuries when a fire broke out at the old powerhouse in Hulhumale’ as he worked to restore power. He died two weeks later, at a hospital in Thailand.

On June 1, a total blackout left the heavily populated Maldivian capital without electricity for nearly six hours. And a second one on August 9 lasted nearly three hours.

STELCO said that both incidents resulted from “technical issues”, without providing details.

In media interviews on Friday, then-managing director Hussain Fahmy said STELCO increased its capacity by 17 megawatts over the course of last year and this year in a bid to address the growing demand for electricity in the capital, which is home to tens of thousands of people.

Fahmy said that the demand for electricity continues to rise in the capital as more and more people relocate there, making it necessary to increase STELCO’s capacity by 50 megawatts every five years.

“We are currently working with the government to build a large powerplant in Male’,” he said.

Fahmy said the project to build the planned 100-megawatt powerplant, which he said would cost around USD 100 million to USD 200 million, was getting delayed due to financial constraints.