Bridge Interconnection Fault Leads to Blackout; STELCO Says Preventive Steps Will Be Taken

The State Electric Company (STELCO) has confirmed that yesterday’s six-hour power outage across Malé and Hulhumalé was caused by a disruption in the interconnection system via the Sinamalé Bridge, and said that all necessary measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence.

The outage began at 12:40 p.m. when the electricity supply link between the two islands was cut off. STELCO reported that Malé’s power plant did not have sufficient capacity at the time to supply Hulhumalé independently, resulting in a total blackout across the capital region.

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Efforts to restore electricity began immediately. Limited power generation was brought back online using the engines that remained operational, although one engine was unavailable due to scheduled maintenance. Full restoration was completed more than six hours later.

According to STELCO, electricity supply is currently being maintained through the remaining engines, but a full return to normal operations depends on the energising of the 132kV grid serving Hulhumalé Phase 2.

Technical teams reviewed control systems and grid infrastructure following the incident. The cause of the failure in the interconnection remains under investigation.

During the outage, STELCO’s SCADA system recorded multiple alarms across 123 substations in Malé and 130 in Hulhumalé. The company stated that no significant faults have so far been found in the main grid, equipment or transformers. Diagnostic work is continuing to determine the precise cause of the disruption.

STELCO also reiterated that it has the capacity to supply electricity to the interconnected Malé–Hulhumalé grid and that the findings of the investigation will be made public once confirmed.

Following the restoration of service, STELCO Managing Director Hussain Fahmy acknowledged the disruption and thanked employees and others involved in the recovery efforts. He stated that measures will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future and offered an apology to the public for the inconvenience caused.

The President has ordered an official investigation into the incident.