Efforts to stabilise cooking gas supply in the Maldives are moving towards longer-term storage capacity, as the government advances plans to expand reserves in the Greater Malé area.
Finance Minister Moosa Zameer has indicated that the State Trading Organization is working to add 1,500 tonnes of gas storage capacity. The expansion would significantly increase existing reserves and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
At present, STO holds around 1,000 tonnes of gas in storage. Once the additional capacity is operational, total reserves in the Malé area are projected to cover roughly two and a half months of demand. The initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen supply security and reduce the risk of short-term shortages.
The minister stated that the Maldives does not face a structural shortage of gas. Instead, supply disruptions have largely stemmed from logistical constraints. The country relies on a shared supplier that also serves markets in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with shipments rotating between destinations by sea. Weather conditions affecting ship-to-ship transfers in Maldivian waters have also contributed to delays in recent weeks.
Recent tightening in gas availability has coincided with volatility in global energy markets, linked in part to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. These disruptions have had knock-on effects for import-dependent countries such as the Maldives.
In response to temporary shortages, Maldives Gas, a subsidiary of STO, introduced short-term measures to manage limited stock. These included selling partially filled cylinders to maintain availability across households.
STO has since confirmed that a new shipment of cooking gas has arrived in the country, easing immediate supply pressures as longer-term storage expansion plans progress.
