Feasibility Study on green hydrogen potential in Maldives and development of a national roadmap for sustainable energy transition

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), on behalf of Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) invites qualified interested firms to submit Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in the upcoming solicitation for provision of technical assistance to conduct a Feasibility study on green hydrogen potential in Maldives and development of a national roadmap for sustainable energy transition. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on behalf of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) requires the services of an institution to deliver the technical assistance as approved by National Designated Entity from Maldives. The overall objective of this technical assistance is to conduct a feasibility study on green hydrogen potential in Maldives and development of a national roadmap for sustainable energy transition. The project will be responsible for preparing the Feasibility Study Report related to the potential utilization of green hydrogen. This report will encompass the identification of appropriate technological options for hydrogen production and transportation, as well as the drafting of a National Roadmap aimed at diversifying the energy mix through the integration of green hydrogen production technologies. Maldives, an archipelago nation, currently depends on imported fossil fuels to meet its energy needs, posing significant economic and environmental challenges. The country's dependency on fuel imports not only strains its economy but also exposes it to international fuel price volatility. To address these issues and align with its carbon net-zero 2030 target, the Maldives is focusing on renewable energy integration. The Maldives has already made progress by installing 53.3 MW of solar PV hybrid systems, with an additional 70 MW under installation. Furthermore, the country is exploring other renewable energy resources, including wind and ocean energies, with pilot projects underway to assess their viability. Given the limited land and roof space, Maldives is focusing on floating solar projects complemented by battery energy storage systems to transform its energy sector. In the initial stages of developing green hydrogen technologies within the country, the primary impediments can be categorized into two overarching areas, as outlined below. Firstly, the absence of a national strategy pertaining to hydrogen development has given rise to uncertainties among government agencies and a reluctance to engage from the private sector. The principal barrier to formulating a comprehensive and unambiguous national strategy is the dearth of technical expertise to evaluate comprehensive information on the intricate technical aspects, socio-economic cost-benefits, and impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The Maldives needs to explore the potential utilization of green hydrogen and feasible pathways for its production and transportation, necessitating technical support and broad national collaboration. Enhancing the capacity of policymakers to collaborate and craft cohesive policy support is also imperative in developing and executing the national strategy. The second barrier pertains to the implementation phase and the requisite resources. Stakeholder participation (including academia, private sectors, regulators, etc.) in the development of green hydrogen technologies for achieving the net-zero target remains disjointed. This may stem from a lack of shared understanding and direction, as mentioned in the previous barrier. An additional significant hurdle to implementation lies in the absence of regulations addressing matters related to hydrogen development. Research into hydrogen-related technology is still in its nascent or pilot stage and requires support for scaling up. Substantial assistance in advanced knowledge, experiences, and substantial financial resources is necessary for such implementations, which would significantly contribute to the net-zero objective. Some of the expected outputs are: a. Mandatory Output: Project Management b. Inception workshop and baseline assessment c. Feasibility Study d. National technology roadmap for green hydrogen development e. GCF concept note and capacity building workshop The complete details of the requirement will be provided in the tender documents that will be issued to bidders after this request for EOI is closed.