New harbour project in the Maldives creates growth opportunities

The current harbour facility on the Island of Malé in The Maldives has reached its full capacity. The government has thus decided to establish a new harbour in the lagoon just next to the Island of Malé. This will relieve the harbour on the densely packed main island, which houses approximately 150,000 inhabitants on about six square kilometres.

NIRAS is involved in all aspects of the project; from the compilation of a masterplan over feasibility-studies to the detailed design and consultancy regarding future operations of the harbour. By establishing a new harbour on the neighbouring island instead of renovating the existing one on the Island of Malé, the government hopes to attract growth to the new area. The Island of Malé, which is the centre for all commercial activity in the country, does not have the capacity for further expansion, making it necessary for innovative solutions:

“NIRAS has a proud legacy of establishing harbour- and marine facilities in Asia, which is one of our strategic growth areas. I am happy that we have signed the contract to execute the harbour project in The Maldives, which in addition to solving a necessary infrastructural challenge, hopefully also will bring a much welcome development to the island nation,” says Carsten Heine Lund, director of infrastructure in NIRAS.

International cooperation

NIRAS will execute the project in collaboration with MTBS, a Dutch economic consultancy company. The project has an acquisition cost of approximately USD 400 M and is of high priority to the Maldivian government. Consequently, NIRAS has already begun developing the masterplan, which is to be finished in half a year.