- Seven ice plants with a combined daily capacity of 155 tonnes are scheduled to begin operating by the end of 2026, expanding ice supplies for atoll fishing communities.
- The largest facilities include a 60-tonne plant on Veyvah in Meemu Atoll and a 40-tonne plant on Naifaru in Lhaviyani Atoll, with smaller plants across Laamu, Alifu Alifu and Baa atolls.
- A second phase will add eleven 30-tonne facilities by June 2027, while the government also promotes onboard vessel cooling systems, especially in the underserved northern atolls.
Seven ice plants with a combined daily production capacity of 155 tonnes are scheduled to begin operating before the end of 2026, as the government expands ice supplies for fishing communities across the atolls.
Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam outlined the programme at a press briefing at the President’s Office. He said the expansion aims to ease persistent ice shortages affecting fishing operations, particularly in the northern atolls.
The largest facility in the year-end programme is a 60-tonne plant on Veyvah in Meemu Atoll, followed by a 40-tonne plant on Naifaru in Lhaviyani Atoll. Three facilities in Laamu Atoll will provide 25 tonnes a day on Maabaidhoo and 10 tonnes each on Maavah and Hithadhoo. Ukulhas in Alifu Alifu Atoll and Kudarikilu in Baa Atoll will each receive a five-tonne plant.
Shiyam said work had been accelerated at three sites nearing completion, while the remaining projects were moving from planning into construction. Five plants already operating under the government’s programme supply a combined 140 tonnes of ice daily.
A second phase is expected to bring eleven facilities into operation by June 2027. Each will have a daily capacity of 30 tonnes, giving the group a combined capacity of 330 tonnes.
These facilities are planned for Kulhudhuffushi, Hulhudheli, Mulah, Dhaandhoo, Gaafaru, Dhidhdhoo, Rasdhoo, Rathafandhoo, Nilandhoo, Villingili and Komandoo. In Gaafaru, the project will replace an existing smaller plant following requests from local fishermen for greater production capacity.
The expansion would give fishing communities more locations to obtain ice for preserving their catch. However, the capacity scheduled for completion this year remains dependent on finishing and commissioning the seven facilities, several of which have yet to complete construction.
The government is also pursuing a programme to equip fishing vessels with onboard cooling systems. Shiyam said the technology remained less widely used in the northern atolls than in the south, making shore-based ice supplies an important part of efforts to address the regional shortage.
